Yogyakarta won't set up provincial information office

YOGYAKARTA (JP): The provincial administration here joined on Monday the nationwide move to oppose the reported plan to revive the ministry of information.

Provincial secretary Bambang S.P. said the local administration would not set up an office of the former ministry even if the central government decides to reestablish the institution disbanded by then President Abdurrahman Wahid.

Bambang was speaking to journalists and members of nongovernmental organizations, who had taken to the streets to oppose the plan.

Bambang said that the city's stance was in line with the spirit of regional autonomy. "Every regional administration has its own authority to establish its own institutions and boards, regardless of the wishes of central government," he told the protesters, who gathered in front of the provincial administration office.

The protesters, grouped under the People's Coalition for the Freedom of Information (KOMBI), demanded that Yogyakarta's provincial government reject the possible reestablishment of an office of the ministry of information in the ancient city.

Bambang promised, however, that he would convey the aspirations of the protesters to the central government.

KOMBI comprises the local branches of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) and the Association of Indonesian Journalists (PWI), student media, university intellectuals and local NGOs.

"The ministry of information will always be against democracy and media freedom, therefore we must oppose every single effort to reestablish it," chairman of Yogyakarta's office of AJI Raihul Fadjri said.

"The ambition to reestablish the ministry of information is against the reform mandate," the chairman of the Yogyakarta branch of PWI, Octo Lampito, declared.

Meanwhile, the deputy speaker of the provincial council (DPRD), Nur Achmad Affandi, told protesters that the council had endorsed a regulation for the establishment of a regional board of information, which would perform public relations duties in the provincial administration.

"The board won't have anything to do with efforts to repress media freedom," he said, assuring protesters.

He also pledged to inform central government and the House of Representatives (DPR) of their demands.

A similar rally had previously been staged in front of the office of the provincial legislature council on Jl. Malioboro.

Waving banners and posters, they said the plan (to revive the ministry of information) was just an effort to kill democracy in the country.

Amid the uproar against the possibility to revive the ministry of information, key politicians taking part in the negotiations to form the cabinet said the issue had never been discussed.

"I guarantee that we will maintain the freedom of the press and there will be no such things as information ministry or whatever the name is to restrict the media," a source in the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) said.

His counterpart from the National Mandate Party (PAN) agreed, saying that all political parties supporting President Megawati would never tolerate the reinstatement of any institution that restricted the freedom of expression.

"As far as I know there will be no institution to restrict or suppress the media. If that thing happens we all should stage rallies against it," the official, speaking in the condition of anonymity, said. (44/dja)