Jakarta Post – Commission I for defense and information at the House of Representatives and the government have agreed to delay the discussion of an article on military operations in the public information bill to find a better formulation for the paragraph.

Most House members said the bill should not limit public access to military operations data, but the government insisted that military operations information should not be opened publicly because it relates to national defense and security.

"Military operations should not be closed from public knowledge because (the operations have) already happened so people have the right to know about them," said Abdillah Toha, a member of the House commission and the National Mandate Party faction, on Monday.

Despite opposition from the House, the government has suggested that among the information to be made publicly inaccessible – through insertion into the third chapter of the bill, which regulates information that cannot be opened to the public – are details about operations, intelligence, tactics and strategies relating to the country's defense system and national security.

The House and the government agree, however, that information concerning witness identities, criminal intelligence, war strategies, data on Indonesia's natural resources and inter-ministerial letters should be hidden from public eyes.

Yuddy Chrisnandi from the Golkar Party said military operations are financed by the people's money and that, therefore, they must be conducted with the people's knowledge. "Most military operations that are closed from the public usually become a serious problem," he said.

"There are many military operations in Indonesia that the government never admits to, but they are there and most of them have claimed the lives of innocent people," Yudi said.

He added that the reason behind his suggestion to open military operations information to the public was so the government could no longer deflect responsibility for the consequences of such operations.

Andreas Pariera from the Democratic Party of Struggle suggested that the government make a list of national defense and security items that it believes should not be made accessible to the public. He said this would inform the people as to the extent of information that is being withheld from them.

The bill, which aims to open as much government-related information to the public as possible, has been under discussion at the House for over five years. If the bill is passed, Indonesia will join 40 other countries that have legislated the right to access public information.