The Attorney General's Office of Indonesia banned five books in December 2009. These books are the following: "Pretext for Mass Murder: The September 30th Movement and Soeharto's Coup d'Etat in Indonesia" by John Roosa, "Six Paths to God" by Darmawan M. M, "Resolving the Mystery of Religious Diversity" by Syahrudin Ahmad, "The Voice of Churches for Suppressed People, Blood and God's Tears in West Papua" by Cocrateze Sofyan Yoman, and "Lekra Never Burns Books" by Roma Dwi Aria Yuliantri and Muhidin M. Dahlan. Twenty more books are being evaluated by the government.

The Institute for the Studies on Free Flow of Information (ISAI), a SEAPA member in Indonesia, gathered together on 6 January 2010 lawyers, scientists, human rights activists, artists, members of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI)—another SEAPA member—and other professionals to discuss the issue.

They agreed to release the following statement:

Statement on the Banning of Books in Indonesia

1. We are disappointed and concerned, after 11 years of Reformasi, that the Attorney General’s Office is still banning certain books. Even now, the Minister of Law and Human Rights proudly stated that he will ban more books. It is a denial of the essence of human rights in Indonesia;

2. Banning a book is a violation of the basic rights guaranteed by our 1945 Constitution, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Human Rights Law. When the government starts to ban books, it evokes fear among people in expressing their opinion and exchanging ideas in their exploration to find new possibilities of artistic and intellectual values. Banning books will block the efforts to educate people, the mandate given by the Preamble of our Constitution;

3. Human rights violations, including the banning of books, will smear Indonesia's image as a successful and reputable democratic society;

4. In a democratic state, the restriction of books can only be permitted if the contents of the book clearly advocate racial, religious and group hatred and serve as a propaganda for war and violence. But such restrictions can only be balanced by an honest, free and impartial judicial process;

5. In this era of Internet and digitalization, the banning of books will not hamper their contents from reaching the readers;

6. We strongly insist the SBY-Boediono government to admonish its apparatus which is still practicing the behavior of the anti-democratic ancient regime.

Jakarta, 8 January 2010

(sgd.)

1. ABDUH AZIS, Documentary film maker/lecturer member of the Jakarta Cultural Academy.

2. ABDUL MOQHSITH GAZALI, Scientist, Liberal Islam Network

3. ADE ROSTINA SITOMPUL, Human rights woman activist

4. ADE TANESIA, Journalist, Yogyakarta

5. ADNAN BUYUNG NASUTION, Senior lawyer, Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation

6. I GUSTI AGUNG AYU RATIH, Institute of Social History Indonesia

7. I GUSTI AGUNG PUTRI ASTRID ASTIKA, ELSAM Human Rights Group

8. ALIF AIRLAMBANG, Indonesian Human Rights group, PBHI

9. AMIRUDDIN AL-RAHAB, Historian, ELSAM Human Rights Group

10. ANDI WIJAYANTO, Lecturer, University of Indonesia

11. ANICK HT, ICRP

12. ANTONIO PRAJASTO, Director, DEMOS Human Rights group

13. ARISTIDES KATOPPO, Senior journalist

14. ASFINAWATI, Public Defender, Kontras human rights group

15. ASVI WARMAN ADAM, Historian, Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI)

16. ATMAKUSUMAH ASTRAATMADJA, Senior journalist, LPDS

17. AYU UTAMI, Novelist, ISAI

18. BONNIE TRIYANA, Historian

19. DOLOROSA SINAGA, Woman sculptor

20. ENI MULIA, Journalist, PPRM

21. ERI SUTRISNO, TempoTV

22. ERMA SURYANI RANIK, Woman Indonesian senator (DPD)

23. ESTER JUSUF, Woman Lawyer, National Solidarity Group (SNB)

24. EZKI SUYANTO, Alliance of Independent Journalists

25. FARAH WARDANI, Indonesian Visual Art Archives

26. GARDA SEMBIRING, Human rights activist, PEC

27. GOENAWAN MOHAMAD, Senior journalist, Salihara Cultural Centre

28. HENDARDI, Human rights activist, Setara Institute

29. HENDRIK SIRAIT, Indonesian Human Rights group, PBHI

30. HENNY SUPOLO, Education activist

31. HERSRI, Writer

32. HERU HENDRATMOKO, Journalist, Radio News Agency 68H

33. HILMAR FARID, Historian, Institute of Social History Indonesia

34. IKRAR NUSA BHAKTI, Military scientist, Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI)

35. IRAWAN SAPTONO, ISAI

36. IRINA DAYASIH, Human Rights activist

37. ITA FATHIA NADIA, Woman activist

38. JALESWARI PRAMODHAWARDHANI, Military scientist, Indonesian Institute of Science,

39. JOHNSON PANJAITAN, Lawyer, Indonesian Bar Association (AAI)

40. LAKSMI PAMUNTJAK, Writer, poet

41. LANNY OCTAVIA, Liberal Islam Network

42. LEXY RAMBADETA, Documentary film maker

43. LINDA CHRISTANTY, Writer

44. LUTHFIE ASSYAUKANI, Freedom Institute

45. MARCO KUSUMAWIJAYA, Architect, member of the Jakarta Cultural Academy

46. MAS ACHMAD SANTOSA, Lawyer, Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation

47. MIRANDA HARLAN, Novelist

48. MUDJI SUTRISNO, S.J., Lecturer, Pastor, College of Philosophy

49. MUSDAH MULIA, Researcher, ICRP

50. MYRA DIARSI, Commissioner, Institute for the Protection of Witnesses (LPSK)

51. NEZAR PATRIA, Alliance of Independent Journalists

52. NIRWAN DEWANTO, Salihara Cultural Centre

53. NONG DAROL MAHMADA, Researcher, Freedom Institute

54. NOVRIANTONI KAHAR, Liberal Islam Network

55. NURSYAHBANI KATJASUNGKANA, Lawyer, woman activist, APIK Federation

56. OSLAN PURBA, Human Rights activist, Kontras

57. PATRA M. ZEN, Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation

58. PUTU OKA SUKANTA, Writer, poet

59. QOMARULAELY, ISAI

60. RAFENDI DJAMIN, Member of ASEAN Human Rights Commission

61. RATRIKALA BHRE ADITYA, Documentary film maker

62. RIRI RIZA, Film Director

63. RUDY GUNAWAN, Journalist

64. SAIDIMAN, Liberal Islam Network

65. SAMUEL, Artist

66. SANTU WIRONO, Artist

67. SIJO SUDARSONO, ISAI

68. SITOK SRENGENGE, Poet, Salihara Cultural Centre

69. SVETLANA DAYANI, Human Rights activist

70. TEDJABAYU, ISAI

71. TINO SAROENGGALO, Documentary film maker

72. TODUNG MULYA LUBIS, Senior lawyer, Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation

73. TORIQ HADAD, Journalist, Tempo Magazine

74. TOSCA SANTOSO, Journalist, Radio News Agency 68H

75. TRISNO SUTANTO, ICRP

76. USMAN HAMID, Human rights activist, Kontras

77. VEVEN SP WARDHANA, Media researcher

78. VICTOR DA COSTA, Human rights activist, Kontras

79. WASITO JATI PRIBADI, Businessman

80. WILSON, Historian,

81. WIRATMO PROBO, ISAI

82. YOSEP ADI PRASETYO, Commissioner, National Commission on Human Rights.