Jakarta – Indonesian journalists took the opportunity of Press Day on Monday to affirm their commitment to fight against all forms of repression towards journalists that have been hindering press freedom in the country.

A senior journalist from Pantau Magazine, Andreas Harsono, said Monday that many journalists, particularly in the provinces outside Java Island continuously, faced repressive actions from certain groups of people who consider press freedom a danger to their power or authority.

"Take Papua as an example, the level of repression there is still very high," he told The Jakarta Post. He said that currently the level of press freedom in the country remained below expectations.

According to the France-based international journalist organization, Reporters Without Borders, Indonesia ranked 101 out of 175 countries in the 2009 press freedom index, while Denmark took top place and North Korea and Eritrea ranked 174 and 175 respectively. In 2008, Indonesia had ranked 111 out of 173 countries.

Andreas said that the 2008 Freedom of Information Law, which took effect on April 30, was a big leap forward for press freedom in the country. He urged public institutions to ensure the positive impact of the new law by adhering strictly to legal procedures when implementing the law.

"The process of revealing information should be simple. If it's too complex, the law won't have any function at all," he said. (rdf)