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.