KONTRAS SLAMS ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR BANNING CERTAIN BOOKS

Jakarta, Dec 31 (ANTARA) - The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has criticized the Attorney General for banning the circulation of five books considered capable of disturbing public order.

One of the books was titled "Dalih Pembunuhan Massal : Gerakan 30 September dan Kudeta Soeharto" (Pretext for Mass Murder : the September 30 Movement and Soeharto's Coup d' Etat) by John Roosa.

Kontras in a letter sent to Attorney General Hendarman Supandji on Dec 29, 2009 said it deplored his action in banning the circulation of the books.

The bans resembled the repressive policies of the New Order (former president Soeharto's regime) which prohibited the circulation of certain books such as the works of Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Kontras said in its letter signed by Usman Hamid as the NGO's coordinator.

The Attorney General's decisions to ban certain books in the prevailing climate of democracy were clearly disappointing, Usman said.

The bans on certain books could be interpreted as a tendency in the government to curb the literary works, ideas or opinions of certain people.

Kontras conceded that the UN Convention on Civil and Political Rights recognized the state's right to limit freedom of expression in printed form. But the convention also specified certain pre-conditions for the exercise of this right by the state.

The preconditions were that the printed works incited violence or emnity that could lead to war or racial, ethnic, national, or religious hatred , or xenophobia.

The curbs could also be justified only if they were intended to protect other people's rights, national or public security, public health or morality based on democratic principles, Kontras said.