WAN slams reporters' license plan<\/p>\n
PARIS (DPA): The World Association of Newspapers (WAN)
\nyesterday called on Indonesian President B.J. Habibie to abandon
\na planned licensing system for journalists, saying that such a
\nmove contravened human rights.<\/p>\n
In a letter to Habibie, WAN president Bengt Braun said in
\nParis that the president should reject all calls for the
\nlicensing of journalists and uphold international norms of free
\nexpression.<\/p>\n
\"We respectfully remind you that any licensing system is open
\nto abuse, and almost inevitably leads to censorship or self-
\ncensorship,\" the letter stated, adding that \"we also believe that
\nsuch restrictions are in contravention of Article 19 of the
\nUniversal Declaration of Human Rights.\"<\/p>\n
Suppression of information also went \"hand-in-hand with
\ncorruption\", Braun said. WAN believed this had been an
\n\"aggravating factor in the Asian economic crisis\".<\/p>\n
Habibie in July suggested a license for Indonesian journalists
\n-- to be issued annually -- in order to increase their
\nprofessional skills.<\/p>\n
So far no actual steps have been taken.<\/p>\n
WAN, based in the French capital, is a global association of
\nthe newspaper industry.<\/p>",
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