Govt moves to block access to state secrets<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government will submit a draft law on official secrets to
\ncounter the freedom of information bill proposed by the House of
\nRepresentatives, which, if passed, would give the public,
\nincluding the media, statutory access to information on state
\ninstitutions and government offices.<\/p>\n
During a hearing with House Commission I on defense, security,
\ninformation and foreign affairs, State Minister for
\nCommunications and Information Syamsul Mu'arif said that the
\ngovernment had no objection to the freedom of information bill,
\nbut argued that not all official information and documents could
\nbe made available to the public.<\/p>\n
\"The government has state secrets that must not be revealed to
\nthe public and the media,\" he said, adding that the State
\nIntelligence Agency (BIN) was drafting a bill on official
\nsecrets.<\/p>\n
The Commission and the minister agreed to set up a joint team
\nto combine the two bills.<\/p>\n
Tumbu Sarawasti, deputy chairperson of the House's legislative
\ndrafting body, said the bill on freedom of information had been
\ninitiated by the House in order to create transparent and clean
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
The bill guaranteed the rights of the public, including
\nbusinessmen, laymen, farmers and the media, to access accurate
\ninformation, data and documents in all state institutions and
\ngovernment offices, and would be helpful in investigating
\ncorruption and collusion in the bureaucracy and among state
\nofficials.<\/p>\n
The bill envisaged the setting up of a commission charged with
\nthe task of ensuring compliance with the law. Anyone who failed
\nto obey a decision of the freedom of information commission would
\nface a maximum penalty of five-years imprisonment.<\/p>\n
Djoko Susilo, a commission member representing the Reform
\nfaction acknowledged on Thursday that a team was scheduled to be
\nset up next month to make preparations for the combining of the
\ntwo bills.<\/p>\n
Djoko, who heads Commission 1's media and information
\nsubcommission, expressed fear at the possible revival of an
\nauthoritarian regime given the plan to deliberate the official
\nsecrets bill.<\/p>\n
He and several other legislators suggested that official
\nsecrets should be dealt with in a separate chapter of the freedom
\nof information bill.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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