REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Online media editors whose websites have been blocked by the Ministry of Informatics and Communications (Kemenkominfo) have complained to Commission I on the Information Affairs of the House of Representatives.
"Some 22 websites have been blocked by the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT). They were blocked without any mediation," Aendra, editor of the Voaislam.com, said at the room of Commission I here on Wednesday.
He questioned Kemenkominfo's move closing the websites without issuing any warning.
According to Aendra, on March 30, 2015, online media houses received a letter from Kemenkominfo, which, in essence, notified them about the blockading of the websites based on a recommendation from the BNPT.
"In the letter, they addressed us as websites entertaining radicalism. This should have been explained to us first before blocking our online sites," he stated.
As a law-abiding state, its government should abide by regulations in force. He pointed out that the blocking of the online sites should have been done on a court order.
"As a law-abiding state, why didn't Indonesia study the contents of the websites? We are of the opinion that Kemenkominfo entertained a shallow view (about us) and closed (our) sites," he added.
On Monday, Vice-President Jusuf Kalla revealed that he has ordered Minister of Informatics and Communication Rudiantara to block Islamic websites that spread radicalism.
"I have asked Rudiantara to conduct a thorough study and block websites that are clearly found to be part of propaganda for spreading radicalism," he stated in his office.
He added that Islamic websites carrying contents promoting radicalism will be blocked as requested by a security institution.
"We got a request from a security institution. In a meeting today, I ordered (the minister of informatics and communication) to conduct thorough study of websites," he affirmed.
Kalla pointed out that not all Islamic websites will be blocked, but only those carrying content spreading radicalism will have to face the government action.
"Not all of them (will be blocked). We will not block a website simply because it has an Islamic name. Only those clearly promoting radicalism consistently (will be blocked). If they only carry interpretations or content that are not binding, they will not be blocked," he explained.
Meanwhile, seven Islamic websites on Tuesday lodged a protest and complaint against the Ministry of Informatics and Communication for blocking their contents at the request of the BNPT.
The leaders and editors of aglislamiccenter.com, hidayatullah.com, kiblat.net, salam-online.com, panjimas.com, arrahmah.com, and gemaislam.com visited the ministry's office on Tuesday to meet Danrivanto Budhijanto, the Expert Staff for Legal and Strategic Regulation Affairs.
Mahladi, the chief editor of Hidayatullah, who acted as the speaker for the delegation, stated that their websites were blocked without informing them about their offence.
"It just happened. We did not know what was wrong. We were not informed before," he said.
He noted that no regulation regarding negative content had been violated.
In response, Budhijanto extended his apologies for the inconvenience caused by the blocking of the websites.
Stating that his side had blocked the websites at the request of the BNPT, he offered to mediate a meeting between them and the security agency.
The Informatics and Communication Ministry recently blocked 19 websites following a request from the BNPT that believed they were spreading radicalism.
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