Jakarta – The Alliance of Independence Journalists (AJI) has praised President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's move to revoke a new regulation that would have reintroduced surveillance of foreign journalists working in the country.
"It is clear that Jokowi wants this to be an open country," AJI chair Suwarjono said in a press statement. Jokowi's order to revoke the regulation, Suwarno said, had to be obeyed by authorities at the local level.
Following protests from foreign media outlets, the Home Ministry on Thursday decided to revoke circulars obliging all visiting foreign journalists to report to all levels of government to detail their assignments in the country.
In addition to reporting to local authorities, the new rule also required visiting foreign journalists to give details about their assignments to the National Intelligence Agency (BIN).
Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo was instructed to revoke the regulation by the President, who sympathized with the complaints of local and international news organizations.