Banned books allowed for limited use

JAKARTA (JP): Attorney General Singgih said yesterday that universities may use, for research and scientific purposes, books that the government has banned.

"Books that the government has banned can be used by academics for research and scientific purposes in universities," he told reporters.

The idea of allowing limited circulation of books banned by the government was proposed by Minister of National Development Planning/Chairman of the National Development Planning Board Ginandjar Kartasasmita at a National Conference on Books this week.

Ginandjar said banned books should be allowed limited circulation, in universities and libraries, for scientific purposes.

He said that the blacklisted books should be read by experts because they would thereby be able to provide arguments against the books and reveal the lies and evils of the books to university students and other educated people.

Singgih said the ban on books on Marxism, Leninism or Communism had been imposed in a decree by the People's Consultative Assembly.

"The law remains valid," he said.

Noted Moslem Scholar Nurcholish Madjid said yesterday that he supported Singgih's move.

"I agree with Singgih, since the limited circulation is for scientific purposes only," he told The Jakarta Post.

He said the ban was only meant to prevent the public from reading the books.

"Certain books are banned with the aim of preventing unwanted actions by readers who are offended by their contents," he said.

He stressed, however, that the banned books should be circulated only to selected people.

He said that if the books were to be allowed in libraries they should be stored in special places to ensure that unauthorized people did not read them. (imn)