Press test for Indonesia

The largest and harshest group of "judges" ever to invade the country will push Indonesia's new policy of openness to the limit this month.

Some 5,000 foreign and local news reporters and commentators are due to be in the country before Nov. 15. Officially, they will throw the spotlight on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum meeting in Bogor.

In fact, a large number will also be focusing on the entire Indonesian archipelago, and may range further afield into other Southeast Asian nations during their short visits.

Indonesia has gamely promised to welcome foreign reporters, including many -- especially Australians -- barred from entry in the past.

By opening the country to a press invasion unprecedented in its history, Jakarta hopes to set aside many old stereotypes of the nation.

It wants to broadcast, for example, word that Indonesia is a country which is developing quickly, and to lay to rest the bucolic image of the beaches of Bali.

It also wants the world to see that the bad old days of the Sukarno regime, and the turmoil and racist policies which followed it, are over.

More than anything, it wants the world to believe that the East Timor situation is nowhere near as bad as many think it is.

U.S. President Bill Clinton will be dragging the bulk of the foreign press corps in his wake to Bogor, a town just outside of Jakarta and the site of the summit.

Mr. Clinton, Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama will attract the bulk of APEC coverage.

But reporters are likely to want more than predictable sound bites about APEC, a pretty boring subject to most newspaper readers and TV news viewers.

Loose in Indonesia, many of these journalists are going to try to search for "the real story" of ASEAN's most populous member. Because of this, the country's leaders may find themselves answering questions with no connection to the Asia-Pacific meeting.

The government is admittedly on the hot seat for the APEC conference and its massive media invasion. Clearly Jakarta is well aware and willing that its new policy of openness be put to the test. Therefore, it seems only reasonable that Indonesia be given the benefit of the doubt.

If Indonesia can handle this intrusion well, it will signal a new era for the Soeharto administration. Such a chance surely will be welcomed by all but the most biased and anti-Indonesia observers.

It is a difficult task for an administration to switch information horses. Under President Soeharto, Indonesia has earned a reputation as a critic of the press.

It has long been more prone to lash out and punish the messenger than to address the message. There is no reason it must always be like this, as other countries including our own, show.

Freedom of the press can exist alongside a responsible government.

If Indonesia carries through on its pledge to allow this freedom, it will earn the respect it deserves.

-- The Bangkok Post