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)