House expected to discuss freedom of information bill

House expected to discuss freedom of information bill

JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives is expected to
begin deliberation on a proposal for a freedom of information act
next month, the Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL),
which prepared the draft, said on Thursday.

ICEL senior researcher Mas Achmad Santosa said the House had
included the bill in its legislative schedule and discussion
should begin in the middle of September.

The ICEL bill, comprising 10 chapters and 37 articles, was
presented to the House last month.

ICEL's campaign was bolstered this month after the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) endorsed a series of amendments to
the 1945 Constitution.

Article 28F of the amended Constitution states: "Everyone is
entitled to communicate and to obtain information that benefits
the individual and his/her social environment, and everyone is
entitled to seek, obtain, possess, store, manage and disseminate
information using every available kind of medium."

ICEL said the Freedom of Information Act, which obliges
government and private organizations to provide information
sought by the public, would enhance democracy in Indonesia.

"This initiative is purely an effort to support transparent
government," Santosa said.

When endorsed, the act would ensure people's rights to acquire
information held by state institutions concerning public
accountability, policy formulation and reasons behind those
policies, he said.

The right to information in Indonesia currently is not
guaranteed the way it is in the United States, Britain, New
Zealand, Japan, Canada, Thailand and South Africa, he said.

ICEL's draft defines information as facts and data in all
kinds of shapes, from documents, files, reports, books, diagrams,
maps, pictures, photographs, films to sound recording.

Exempted by the bill is information that could endanger the
state, business interests and people's right to privacy, but
these exemptions should be subjected to tests.

Also exempt is information whose disclosure would have certain
consequences, such as violating a person's right to the
presumption of innocence, disrupting or threatening the survival
of a business, undermining the nation's defense and security,
threatening the lives of people and violating people's rights to
privacy.

The bill also states that information should be delivered
timely, speedily, cheaply and simply.

The bill also provides ways for people to appeal if their
request for information is turned down.

ICEL also proposes independent commissions, at provincial and
central government levels, to oversee the implementation of the
act and deal with complaints and appeals. (01)