President Habibie warns national press against tyranny

President Habibie warns national press against tyranny

JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie warned the national press
on Saturday to remain committed to balanced and objective news
reporting to avoid a tyrannical press or the risk of being
misused for vested interests.

Speaking at a ceremony to mark the 61st anniversary of Antara
news agency at the State Palace, the President assured people of
his government's commitment to respect press freedom. But he was
quick to point out that the press also has responsibilities.

"The press must maintain balance in its coverage to ensure it
does not become a tyranny which can dictate public opinion," the
President said.

Habibie emphasized that a free press was necessary in the
drive to democracy as long as they abided by the journalistic
code of ethics and the law.

"During this reform era there will be no more news censorship.
Each news organization has the freedom to carry any reports in
line with its editorial policy," he promised.

The President also said the press should not just demand
democratization within the government but that it should also be
able to democratize itself as a model to others.

In his report to the President, Antara's managing director
Parni Hadi said the agency's editorial policy was "to provide
information that was as objective as possible, and adopt the
'cover both sides' policy by prioritizing national interests".

During the ceremony, Parni signed three cooperation agreements
including one with Portuguese news agency Lusa which entails the
posting of correspondents to each other's country.

Portuguese and Indonesian diplomatic ties were severed after
the integration of East Timor as Indonesia's 27th province in
1976.

Parni said the cooperation between the two agencies would
hopefully generate better understanding between the two countries
and even hasten a solution to the East Timor problem.

After the meeting, Parni said Antara would be able to match
the progress of other foreign agencies, including in its
financial capability. "Given two or three years, Antara will
stand equal with the others," he pledged. (prb)