(Geneve, 12 Juli 2013).  Komite  Hak Azasi Manusian  PBB pada tanggal 10 dan 11 Juli 2013 telah mengadakan sidang khusus yang ke-108 Komisi  HAM PBB di Palais Wilson Geneve, dengan Indonesia sebagai negara yang diundang sebagai negara pihak kovenan internasional tentang hak-hak sipil dan politik (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights). Selain Indonesia, pada minggu ini dan minggu berikutnya ada beberapa negara yang diundang secara terpisah. Mereka itu adalah Ukraina (8 dan 9 Juli 2013), Tajikistan (9 dan 10 Juli 2013), Finlandia (12 Juli 2013), Albania (15 dan 16 Juli 2013) dan Republik Czech (16 dan 17 Juli 2013).

Delegasi Indonesia dipimpin oleh Dirjen HAM Kementerian Hukum dan HAM Prof Dr. Harkristuti Harnowo dan beranggotakan sejumlah pejabat dari berbagai instansi seperti anggota Wantimpres Dr. Albert Hasibuan, Kepala  UnitPercepatan Pembangunan Papua dan Papua Barat (UP4B) Letjen (Purn) Bambang Darmono, Direktur HAM dan Kemanusiaan Kemlu Muhammad Anshor dan lain-lain (termasuk dari Kementerian Kominfo). Turut hadir pula sejumlah LSM dari Indonesia sebagai pengamat.

Pada sidang hari pertama dan kedua  tanggal 10 dan 11 Juli 2013,  yang dipimpin oleh pimpinan Komite  HAM PBB Nigel Rodley dari Inggris,  setelah Ketua Delri menyampaikan sambutan dan menjelaskan tentang berbagai kemajuan, tantangan dan persoalan pelaksanaan HAM di Indonesia secara obyektif, kemudian pimpinan sidang memberi kesempatan kepada sejumlah anggota Komite HAM PBB untuk menanyakan, mengkritisi dan mengomentari berbaga hal yang terkait dengan masalah pelaksanaan HAM di Indonesia.

Komite HAM PBB terdiri dari 18 orang ahli independen dengan mandat untuk memonitor pelaksanaan HAM di negara-negara yang menjadi tanggung-jawabnya. Komite berhak mempertimbangkan laporan pelaksanaan HAM pada negara yang dituju dan memberikan rekomendasi dalam bentuk concluding observations serta juga menanggapi keluhan dari berbagai pihak terhadap negara yang dituju juga.

Beberapa hal yang sempat ditanyakan oleh sejumlah anggota Komite HAM PBB antara lain mulai dari pelaksanaan UU No. 9 Tahun 1998 tentang Kebebasan Berekspresi di Depan Publik, UU No. 39 Tahun 1999 tentang HAM, UU No. 11 Tahun 2008 tentang Informasi dan Transaksi Elektronik, UU No. 20 Tahun 2008 tentang Pemberantasan Diskriminasi Rasial dan Etnis, dan hingga UU Ormas yang baru saja disahkan oleh DPR-RI serta sejumlah peraturan-peraturan perundang-undangan yang lain. Sedangkan berbagai isu aktual yang dibahas antara lain masalah Ahmadiyah di Cikesik dan Sampang, kemudian masalah penanganan terorisme, sorotan terhadap hukuman mati, penanganan kasus Munir, masalah Papua dan hingga masalah perlindungan terhadap kelompok minoritas. Secara umum, baik Ketua Delri maupun seluruh anggota Delri dari berbagai instansi (khususnya dari Direktorat HAM dan Kemanusiaan serta Perwakilan Tetap Misi RI di Geneve sebagai penggerak utama Delri) telah menyampaikan tanggapan sebaik dan sekomprehensif mungkin tanpa ada yang disembunyikan data dan keprihatinan yang ada. Sebaliknya pimpinan sidang juga memahami bahwa kompleksitas permasalahan di Indonesia memang tidak bisa disikapi secara mikro namun harus dalam konteks yang lebih luas.

Khusus terhadap Kementerian Kominfo, yang sempat dipertanyakan adalah masalah keprihatinan bahwa UU Pornografi berpotensi mengganggu pluralitas dan keragaman seni dan budaya masyarakat. Terhadap masalah yang diangkat oleh Zonke Zanele Majodina (anggota Komite dari Afrika Selatan),  delegasi dari Kementerian Kominfo menyampaikan tanggapannya sebagai berikut:

Concerning the Law No. 44 of 2008 regarding Pornography, this particular Law was viewed by some groups as having potential to undermine the respect of many cultures and customs which are very diverse in the country. Possible different interpretation of the Law may undermine the existing space for creativity in the fields of arts relates to freedom of expression.

Actually, the intention of the Law is clearly defined on Article 2 of the Law mentioning that the Pornography Regulation is based on the God the Supreme Almighty, admiration and respect of the dignity and worth of humans, diversity, the Rule of Law, non-discrimination and protection of Citizens/Civilians of the State. Furthermore, the respect of many cultures and customs which are very diverse in the country is already stipulated on Article 3 of the Law mentioning that the purpose of the Law is among other things to shape, protect and maintain Social Order of the Community Ethics, Supremacy of Privacy, the priceless value of God, and admiration and respect of the dignity and worth of humans.

This Law, however, has recognized as a useful instrument to combat pornography, especially child pornography due to the overwhelming number of  porn contents on internet.  This concern also has the same message as it was mentioned by the UN Secretary General  Mr Ban Ki-moon: "I welcome the ITU’s Child Online Protection Initiative and I urge all States to support it."  And as it was mentioned by the ITU Secretary General Hamadoun I Toure:  "In this new digital world, we all have a special responsibility to ensure the safety and security of young people in the online world, just we do offline."

In fact, the Pornography Law has been subjected to a judicial review in 2010 submitted by a coalition consisting of 47 NGOs , and on March 25^th, 2010 decided by Constitutional Court that it is neither unconstitutional nor discriminating against certain profession or culture. Nevertheless, the Constitutional Court refer the Law to the Parliament for further review in light of views and aspirations expressed by many groups of society.   

Demikian juga yang diangkat isunya oleh Yadh Ben Achour (anggota Komite dari Tunisia) yang mempersoalkan adanya penangkapan terhadap seseorang karena telah menyerang orang lain melalui blognya. Terhadap masalah itu, berikut tanggapan Kementerian Kominfo:

It was true that on June 2012 the judge in Western Sumatera sentenced a person whose name is Alexander on the basis among other things of the Law  No. 11 of 2008 regarding Information and Electronic Transaction. He used to be a government servant to the local government in that area. Unfortunately, he was a suspect in criminal case according to the article 27 point 3 of so-called defamation and article 28 of spreading racial and religious hatred. According to the judge, the arrest and trial of Alexander Aan, who was arrested for posting a status on Facebook questioning the existence of god and administering a Facebook group called Ateis Minang(Minang Atheists). He was also being charged for uploading a note and comic depicting and insulting Prophet Muhammad. He has been indicted with three charges, including for disseminating defamation on the internet, which might lead to six-years imprisonment.

The sentence to  Alexander was not  due to his existing status as Atheis instead of his efforts to conduct defamation to other people,  in this case to the Islamic community.  It means it does not matter what Alexander or other people mention on internet are related to the religion  issue or probably criticizing the government, it is free on the democratic political system in Indonesia. According to the current data, the number of media social users in Indonesia is one of the top over the world, in which almost everyday there have been overwhelming points of view criticizing each other based on multi aspects and topics. As a result, it is totally free to express their freedom. However, because of this action to conduct the defamation and spread racial and religious hatred on the internet, and there was an another person delivering the legal action, it was suitable to refer the mentioned law.

For the information, the exciting Law of Information and Electronic Transaction is being reviewed by the government, among other things in particular on Article 27 point 3  regarding defamation, Hopefully, the government could send the drafted material to the parliament as soon as possible, after it was reviewed on judicial review by the Constitutional Court on 2009 without any change. The purpose of the parliament to review the Law in cooperation with the parliament doe not only to respond to the very critical and very debatable issues, but it is also related to the heavy sentence and fine of the law and the contradiction to the  Penal Code Law of article 310 and 311.

The Law of Information and Electronic Transaction was severely debated and even to be a national controversial issues on June 2009 when a woman called Madame Prita Mulyasari was sentenced due to the article of defamation. The standing point of the government, especially the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, stated that Madame Prita could not be sentenced based on the related law, because she was protected to the Law of Customer Protection. Another difficulty to implement the Law of Information and Electronic Transaction, in which on article 43 point 6 mentioning that in performing the arrest and detaining, the investigator through a public prosecutor shall require a quotation from the head of district court within one time 24 hours.

Kemudian ada juga pertanyaan susulan yang disampaikan Yuval Shany (anggota Komite dari Israel) yang mempertanyakan kelanjutan proses revisi dan kemungkinan adanya pengurangan hukuman yang diatur dalam UU No. 11 Tahun 2008 tentang Informasi dan Transaksi Elektronik.  Terhadap pertanyaan tersebut, Kementerian Kominfo menanggapinya sebagai berikut:

The government, in particular the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, has been reviewing the existing Law of Information and Electronic Transaction as it as promised since 2009. At the same time, there are also 2 other Laws intended to be reviewed such as the Law of Broadcasting (proposed by the Parliament) and the Law of Telecommunication. The possible articles which should be changed are among other things Article 27 point 3 related to defamation and Article 45 related to the heavy criminal provision of conducting defamation, in which the sentence would  probably be reduced. The government is actually anxious to submit to the parliament if it would have been completed.     

Sumber: Portal Kominfo