Radio Era Baru regains Indonesian licence
Radio Era Baru can now freely broadcast in Indonesia. The decision by the country’s Supreme Court on 5 October ends a three-year legal battle between the station and Indonesian communications authorities.
Radio Era Baru is the local affiliate of Sound of Hope Radio Network. It started broadcasting Chinese-language news in Indonesia in March 2005. Raymond Tan from the station says the Chinese Embassy in Jakarta had tried to shut it down since then. He says the Chinese Embassy sent letters to Indonesian government agencies warning relations would be damaged, unless the station was shut down. Era Baru says this is because it reports on China-related issues including government corruption, and human rights abuses such as the persecution of Falun Gong and the mistreatment of Tibetans and other minority groups.
In 2007, the Indonesian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology denied the station a broadcasting licence. Radio Era Baru was then locked in a legal battle with authorities to regain its right to broadcast. But while court proceedings continued, the Ministry gave Era Baru’s airwave frequency to another radio station, known as RSMS, or Sing FM, in September last year. On 5 October the Indonesia Supreme Court overturned that decision, and gave the airwave frequency back to Radio Era Baru.
During its effort to regain broadcasting rights, Radio Era Baru received domestic and international support, including support from members of the European Parliament and Reporters Without Borders.
Radio Era Baru can now freely broadcast in Indonesia. The decision by the country’s Supreme Court on 5 October ends a three-year legal battle between the station and Indonesian communications authorities.
Radio Era Baru is the local affiliate of Sound of Hope Radio Network. It started broadcasting Chinese-language news in Indonesia in March 2005. Raymond Tan from the station says the Chinese Embassy in Jakarta had tried to shut it down since then. He says the Chinese Embassy sent letters to Indonesian government agencies warning relations would be damaged, unless the station was shut down. Era Baru says this is because it reports on China-related issues including government corruption, and human rights abuses such as the persecution of Falun Gong and the mistreatment of Tibetans and other minority groups.
In 2007, the Indonesian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology denied the station a broadcasting licence. Radio Era Baru was then locked in a legal battle with authorities to regain its right to broadcast. But while court proceedings continued, the Ministry gave Era Baru’s airwave frequency to another radio station, known as RSMS, or Sing FM, in September last year. On 5 October the Indonesia Supreme Court overturned that decision, and gave the airwave frequency back to Radio Era Baru.
During its effort to regain broadcasting rights, Radio Era Baru received domestic and international support, including support from members of the European Parliament and Reporters Without Borders.