Information ministry placed under Susilo<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The State Ministry of Communications and
\nInformation, which many fear could end up censoring the media,
\nhas been placed under the Coordinating Minister for Political and
\nSecurity Affairs, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.<\/p>\n
In the past, state ministries came under the supervision of
\nthe state secretariat because their main tasks were to give
\npolicy advice to the President and other ministries.<\/p>\n
In the new Cabinet's first meeting on Monday, President
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri outlined only the bones of the office's
\nresponsibilities, which the state minister, Syamsul Muarif, now
\nhas to flesh out.<\/p>\n
"What I am supposed to do now is to translate the President's
\nguidelines into concrete action programs," Syamsul explained.<\/p>\n
Syamsul said the placing of his office under the Coordinating
\nMinistry for Political and Security Affairs was in line with the
\n1999 State Policy Guidelines (GBHN).<\/p>\n
President Megawati's move to set up the State Ministry of
\nCommunications and Information has elicited a hostile response
\nfrom the public. It is feared that the office could be used to
\ncontrol the media -- in the same way as the New Order government
\nunder Soeharto used the now defunct Information Ministry.<\/p>\n
The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), for instance,
\nsees the information office as "unnecessary" because it could
\neasily be used to suppress freedom of expression in a broad
\nsense.<\/p>\n
Although he is yet to be given a specific job description,
\nSyamsul has given assurances that he would not meddle in the
\nfreedom of the press.<\/p>\n
Syamsul said he would seek input from the National Information
\nAgency (LIN), the organization which the then president
\nAbdurahman Wahid formed after he closed down the unpopular
\nMinistry of Information.<\/p>\n
"Besides, I have also talked to Pak Agum Gumelar
\n(transportation minister) on coordination with the Director
\nGeneral for Posts and Telecommunications," he said. (dja)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/information-ministry-placed-under-susilo-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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