Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Ministry of Agriculture has insisted that its lawsuit against Tempo Inti Media, the publisher of Tempo magazine and newspaper, over a news report is not an attempt to silence the press.

"This action underscores that the Ministry of Agriculture does not intend to criminalize journalists or gag the media," said Indra Zakaria Rayusman, head of the ministry's legal bureau, in a statement on Tuesday.

He said the Rp200 billion (over US$12 million) civil lawsuit was filed to hold Tempo accountable for what the Press Council ruled as an ethical violation.

According to Rayusman, ministry monitoring of Tempo's coverage of its activities and the agriculture minister showed that 79 percent of the reports were negative and damaging to its image.

"The Ministry of Agriculture is not anti-criticism, in fact, we need professional and constructive control and criticism from the press," he added.

Rayusman stressed that the lawsuit does not aim to seize Tempo's assets or hinder its journalistic work. Instead, he argued, it is meant to encourage the media to operate professionally, accurately, and with balance.

"Press freedom must be maintained, but it must also be accompanied by responsibility and adherence to journalistic ethics," he said.

The case stems from a poster titled "Poles-Poles Beras Busuk" (Polishing Rotten Rice) that Tempo posted on its official X and Instagram accounts on May 16, 2025.

The ministry later filed a complaint with the Press Council, which it cited as proof of its commitment to resolving press disputes through professional and legal mechanisms.

After review, the council found that the poster violated the journalistic code of ethics by being inaccurate, exaggerated, and mixing facts with judgment.

The Press Council then issued three recommendations to Tempo: revise the poster, moderate or lock the comments section on its social media accounts, and add an apology note addressed to the ministry and the public. Tempo was instructed to comply within 2x24 hours and report back within 3x24 hours.

The Ministry of Agriculture proceeded with the civil lawsuit after concluding that Tempo had not fully carried out the recommendations. The first hearing took place at the South Jakarta District Court on Monday.

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