SKB and Civil Freedoms

KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO

Civil servants employed by the Jakarta provincial administration take part in a ceremony commemorating the 74th anniversary of Indonesian independence on 17 Aug. 2019 in the Pantai Maju (Pulau D) reclaimed island in Jakarta Bay.

The joint ministerial decree (SKB) on managing radicalism in the civil service at the very least illustrates the growth of radicalism among civil servants.

The SKB, which was signed by six ministers and five agency heads this month, is also a message that the government of President Joko Widodo and Vice President Ma\'ruf Amin is concerned about the spread of intolerance, hostility and hate among the public, including civil servants.

This is an undeniable phenomenon in today’s society. According to several studies, intolerance and anti-government behavior even occurs within the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police (Polri). Public intolerance toward differences has long been left unchecked.

The joint decree can be understood to be an effort to mitigate intolerance in the civil service. However, without a clear definition for “radicalism”, “the dissemination of misleading news” and “insulting the government”, we are concerned that it could impose restrictions on civil liberties – the civil liberties that are guaranteed by the Constitution must be respected and must not be restricted.

This has led to virtual divisiveness, including the growth of intolerant groups that oppose pluralism.

The spirit of overcoming intolerance among civil servants is clearly a concern that we share as a nation. The symptoms of intolerance have been exacerbated by the development of digital technology. The search engine algorithms that have been developed have polarized virtual society in cocoons of information. This has led to virtual divisiveness, including the growth of intolerant groups that oppose pluralism.

Under the rule of law in a democracy, all suspected violations must be resolved through legal mechanisms. Should it refer to criminal law or the organizational discipline law? The civil service also has rules that must be followed. However, these rules must be clear.

We see that a number of items in the joint decree still need clarification, such as the fifth point on misleading or unverifiable news and the sixth point on disseminating misleading news, both in person and via social media.

What is meant by “misleading news”? News that is misleading according to whose version? Who is to judge whether a report is misleading or not? The planned task force must be filled with people who are open and honest, with the ability to prevent the growing spread of intolerance.

The spread of intolerance must involve all parties and be tackled comprehensively at its roots.

Apart from this preventive measure, the government must also look for the roots of the problem, such as injustice and discrimination in law enforcement. Solving the problem is possible in the downstream as well as the upstream. The spread of intolerance must involve all parties and be tackled comprehensively at its roots.