Facebook group thwarts libel case in Indonesia

A pregnant housewife complained about the treatment she received in a Jakarta hospital. She has become a national champion for free speech in Indonesia.

Prita Mulyarsi cried tears of joy after being acquitted of libel on Wednesday. The pregnant housewife, and mother of two, thanked Allah and her supporters who stood by her in her legal battle, that has lasted a year an a half.

Prita was put up in prison in May, after she sent 20 of her friends an email complaining of her poor treatment in Omni International Hospital in Tangerang, a suburb of Jakarta. The hospital had diagnosed her with dengue fever and given her shots to fight the disease. When her symptoms kept getting worse, she decided to get a second opinion. At another hospital, she learned she had the mumps.

Through her friends her email ended up on blogs and the social networking site Facebook. Omni hospital was not amused and promptly filed suit for libel. Far from the public eye, Prita was sentenced to pay a 261 million rupiah in damages (approximately 18,600 euros), an amount that will take the average Indonesian years to acquire.

But while Prita was in prison, the Indonesian blogosphere leapt into action. A Facebook group was set up for Pita, who quickly became a national champion for free speech.

The case quickly became fodder for politicians, who were in the middle of a presidential campaign. Candidate Megawati Soukarnoputri visited Prita in jail. Parliament questioned the hospital management and the public prosecutor's office said it would look into Prita’s conviction.

But in the end, it were normal, everyday citizens came to Prita’s rescue. Earlier this month she was convicted on appeal and sentenced to a 204 million rupiah fine. Her 137,000 Facebook friends promptly began collecting money to help pay it. Bicycle cabbies, children and street vendors donated more than 800 million rupiah in small change, which they intended to leave on the doorstep of the hospital.

But the hospital has since said it would waiver the fine. The public prosecutor, however, has said it might still appeal Prita’s acquittal Wednesday.

The money has ended up in Prita’s bank account in the meantime. The central bank collected 176 bags of coins last week for deposit in her account. Prita has said she intends to use the money to help people in a predicament similar to her own.

Prita’s case is by no means unique. Indonesia’s libel laws are often used to curtail freedom of speech. Last month, actress Luna Maya was sued after she called the paparazzi “worse than murderers and prostitutes” in a Twitter message. The tabloid press filed suit under the Electronic Information and Transactions law, the same used to get Prita behind bars.

Even the Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has become entangled in a similar case. George Junus Aditjondro, a prominent sociologist and journalist, published a book this week connecting him with corrupt practices surrounding the bailout of a bank. Some bookstores are afraid to carry the expose in stock. The public prosecutor has announced he might seek a ban on the book.

But if the Prita case has proven one thing, it is that libel-cases are not fought out in courtrooms alone. Currently ten million Indonesians have Facebook accounts, and while legal proceedings dragged on, online Indonesia had already found her not guilty.

Meanwhile, the Omni hospital finds itself in the midst of a public relations nightmare. It reputation, which was dismal to begin with, hit a new low when evidence was uncovered showing Prita’s prosecutors received free treatment at the hospital shortly after the pregnant housewife was arrested.

President Yudhoyono might be well advised not to censor the controversial book about him. A Facebook page dedicated to the writer last Tuesday currently has 776 members and counting.