No permit needed

Readers rang the editorial offices of Media no less than 90 times yesterday. The gist of the all the calls was the same. Readers questioned the need for a new policy governing the issuance of "permits to speak" as proposed by the Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security earlier this week. Some readers questioned the right of the state to regulate the freedom of speech while the constitution fully guarantees that right and the right to express opinions.

Such questions are natural, coming from members of a nation which is on the eve of celebrating the 50th anniversary of its independence. For 50 years now we have been independent. Why must speech still be regulated by formal rulings and permits?

We should contemplate this carefully. Many of the regulations governing the issuance of permits are no longer in accordance with the times. The articles contained in the Criminal Code book, defined during the colonial days, are no longer adequate for application in a nation which became independent 50 years ago. Furthermore, those articles can be interpreted in an elastic manner to suit the interpreter's own interests.

If we do not want to be accused of taking a step backwards we should continue to strive to become mature by opening the tap of liberty. There is no need to be afraid that the boundaries will be overstepped. The yardstick which determines the bureaucracy's prestige today is no longer the degree to which it can control people's speech, but the extent to which it can give people the opportunity to speak out critically and constructively.

History has shown us that nations which have managed to attain progress are not those which are constantly shackled by restrictions and limitations in speech and expression of opinion.

-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta