A Violation of Human Rights

An artist is likened to a real figure of beauty. A beauty that is priceless, made with a brave soul, thought out with all creative ideas, and realized with great enthusiasm, hoping that the end result is satisfaction. Unfortunately, all of that is worthless in this era. The weight of appreciation is insignificant, but demands and restraints are very real. Appreciation for artists should be increased as befits the price of creativity. But now, it's as if expensive art is only a work waiting to be thrown into a mountain of garbage. Again, the state is acting in a way that doesn't deserve praise. Artists who are not partisan will be sought out, artists who play with logic will be shackled, artists who voice justice will be fettered, artists who create against the grain will be considered enemies of the state. The state is anti-criticism, is democracy still worthy of existence? when violations of human rights are considered commonplace!

Regulations are Just a Display of Democracy

Everyone has the right to freedom of association, assembly, and expression of opinion. This is enshrined in Article 28E paragraph (3) of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, which has accommodated freedom of expression without exception for a work of art. The meaning of this article should be a reference for the state in providing freedom for opinions, criticisms, and input from the public in any form. In line with the importance of protecting the rights of artists, Article 6 of Law No. 5 of 2017 concerning the Advancement of Culture protects the rights of artists in creating. This is real evidence of the importance of maintaining the honor and dignity of an artist. Not only that, the state is obliged to promote national culture in accordance with Article 32 paragraph (1) of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia which reads: "The state advances Indonesian national culture in the midst of world civilization by guaranteeing the freedom of society in maintaining and developing its cultural values". With this, there is no reason for the state to silence freedom in expressing creative ideas.