A body of Sound of Hope Radio supporters called Solidarity for SOH Radio held a protest in front of Chinese Embassy in Jakarta. They gave speeches and held banners and posters, asking the embassy to stop the broadcaster’s censorship.

The group claims that on May 8, 2007 the embassy asked the Indonesian government to stop SOH’s broadcast on the grounds that it was political propaganda. This accusation was immediately clarified through SOH Radio, however, the embassy keeps requesting the Indonesian government to stop the broadcast.

Forced intervention has drawn anger from some press institutions, such as the Indonesian Press Council, Indonesian Journalist Alliance and Legal Aid Foundation for Press. The groups condemned foreign intervention of press freedoms in Indonesia.

The Indonesian government used the Communication and Information Department to carry out intervention of the Indonesian Chinese Embassy by not issuing a license for SOH.

[Hendrayana SH, Legal Aid Foundation for Press]:
 “This is clearly a form of censorship; our government is too subservient to the intervention. It’s clear that we have the rule of law, this clearly is a form of violation of community rights.”

Uncertainty over SOH’s broadcast made the radio take the legal path through the State Administrative Court. On October 16, 2009, this case reached the Supreme Court.

Moral support in the form of signatures and statement letters from various NGOs continue to come. The organizations ask the Indonesian government to carefully consider its final decision.

[Raymond, SOH Radio]:
 “If press doesn’t have their freedom, they must be silenced. Of course the oppressed are citizens, and their freedom to obtain information has been stolen.”

The organisations ask the Indonesian government to carefully consider its final decision.

SOH began its broadcast in Indonesia in March 2005, with the recommendation of the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission in Riau Islands Province, Indonesia.

NTD, Jakarta.