Minister Yunus will not stop issuance of press licenses

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Information Muhammad Yunus promised not to reject demands for press publishing licenses (SIUPPs), despite having issued 900 new licenses in the past year.

Yunus, who has been lauded for introducing measures that ensure press freedom, was quoted by Antara as saying in a discussion on the press and the general election that his office would continue issuing new license.

"If SIUPPs are still needed, we will issue them. So people will have a large opportunity (to access information)," Yunus said here on Saturday. The minister last year spoke of the time when there would not be any need to have press licenses.

The discussion on Saturday was organized by the Media Consumers Association (YKP) and attended by some 200 people from the mass media, businesspeople and non-governmental organizations.

"In this era of global information, the government should open wide people's access to information so the country can compete with others in the international market," he said.

One way to assure information access is by making it easier to obtain a license for press publishing, he added.

Since the ministry introduced simpler procedures to obtain a license, the number of SIUPPs issued has increased sharply from 289 during the New Order administration to 900.

Under former president Soeharto, a press license became a tool for authorities and anyone wielding power to control and at times gag the press. A number of media were closed down because they were found to be too critical of the regime. The last publications to be shut down were Tempo, Editor and DeTik weeklies in 1994.

In comparison, the United States has some 11,000 publishing licenses, while in Germany there are 1,600 licenses for dailies and 8,000 licenses for magazines.

"So, it would not be wise to close the information access. It would be stupid," Yunus said.

Yunus also discussed observations that following the toppling of Soeharto, the press had acted up so much that it had become irresponsible. "It (the development) is a risk that has to be taken after years of press censorship," he said.

"It's OK. Like a child who learns to walk, it is the risk that we have to face," Yunus said. "There is no need to worry as long as the press still respects human rights."

Free press is expected to be one means to exercise strong social control, and to bring about a democratic life toward justice, he said. (swe)