Govt moves to block access to state secrets

Govt moves to block access to state secrets

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government will submit a draft law on official secrets to
counter the freedom of information bill proposed by the House of
Representatives, which, if passed, would give the public,
including the media, statutory access to information on state
institutions and government offices.

During a hearing with House Commission I on defense, security,
information and foreign affairs, State Minister for
Communications and Information Syamsul Mu'arif said that the
government had no objection to the freedom of information bill,
but argued that not all official information and documents could
be made available to the public.

"The government has state secrets that must not be revealed to
the public and the media," he said, adding that the State
Intelligence Agency (BIN) was drafting a bill on official
secrets.

The Commission and the minister agreed to set up a joint team
to combine the two bills.

Tumbu Sarawasti, deputy chairperson of the House's legislative
drafting body, said the bill on freedom of information had been
initiated by the House in order to create transparent and clean
government.

The bill guaranteed the rights of the public, including
businessmen, laymen, farmers and the media, to access accurate
information, data and documents in all state institutions and
government offices, and would be helpful in investigating
corruption and collusion in the bureaucracy and among state
officials.

The bill envisaged the setting up of a commission charged with
the task of ensuring compliance with the law. Anyone who failed
to obey a decision of the freedom of information commission would
face a maximum penalty of five-years imprisonment.

Djoko Susilo, a commission member representing the Reform
faction acknowledged on Thursday that a team was scheduled to be
set up next month to make preparations for the combining of the
two bills.

Djoko, who heads Commission 1's media and information
subcommission, expressed fear at the possible revival of an
authoritarian regime given the plan to deliberate the official
secrets bill.

He and several other legislators suggested that official
secrets should be dealt with in a separate chapter of the freedom
of information bill.