Indonesian Political Indicators researcher Bawono Kumoro said the Draft Law (RUU) on Amendments to Law Number 8 of 1981 concerning the Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP) should not be perceived as an instrument for restricting citizens' rights.
"The new Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP) actually offers corrections to these issues, starting with strengthening the role of advocates or legal advisors from the initial stage to standardizing detention," Bawono said in a statement in Jakarta on Friday.
Bawono explained that one of the important focuses of the new Criminal Procedure Code is the restructuring of the pretrial mechanism, which is positioned as a pillar for strengthening the protection of citizens' rights in the legal process.
"Restructuring pretrial proceedings is also a concern of the new Criminal Procedure Code as part of efforts to strengthen citizens' rights," he said.
However, according to Bawono, the substance of the update is actually overshadowed by the flow of misinformation in the digital space that spreads without context.
"These various reforms should be at the center of public discourse. However, what's currently happening in the public sphere is disinformation due to the atmosphere of digital communication," he explained.
He gave an example of how one of the articles that was actually designed to strengthen accountability was instead twisted into a threat to society.
"There is an article designed to strengthen accountability, but it is interpreted as a threat to the public," said Bawono.