Pers Indonesia yang berdiri di tengah masa penjajahan Belanda dikekang oleh sejumlah peraturan. Peraturan ini mengancam media dan para jurnalis yang berseberangan dengan Pemerintah Hindia Belanda. Haatzaai Artikelen, Persbreidel Ordonnantie, UU 1856, dan UU 1906 menjadi senjata Pemerintah Hindia Belanda untuk membredel dan menahan penentangnya. Namun, di tengah kekangan tersebut masih ada celah untuk menyampaikan aspirasi masyarakat yang berseberangan dengan Pemerintah. Salah satu pelopor pejuang cikal bakal kebebasan pers di Indonesia adalah Ernest François Eugene Douwes Dekker.

---

Indonesian press, which was established in the middle of Dutch's colonialism era, was restrained by some rules. These rules threatened media and journalists that were opposite to the Hindian-Dutch Government. Haatzaai Artikelen, Persbreidel Ordonnantie, act 1856, and act 1906 were used by the government to ban and restrain its opposition. In spite of those restrictions, there was still a chance to deliver the people aspirations who opposed to the government. One of the pioneer of Indonesian press independence was Ernest Francois Douwes Dekker.