Censoring a film is a step backward for the Indonesian democratic progress.

Indonesia's transition to democracy has been so rapid and smooth that it's hard to remember the vagaries of Suharto-era repression. But a recent film ban serves as a reminder that certain freedoms are still under threat.

The Film Censorship Board last week ordered the Jakarta Film Festival to neither screen nor distribute "Balibo," an Australian movie that accuses the Indonesian Special Forces of killing five foreign journalists when the army invaded East Timor in 1975.

The Indonesian government maintains the reporters were caught in cross-fire; an Australian coroner says they were intentionally shot. The censors dispute the movie's "subjective point of view" that they say "will potentially open old wounds."

A mature democracy would settle this question through open discussion and debate. Ordinary Indonesians certainly want to do so: They have rushed to purchase pirated DVDs of "Balibo." The Association for Independent Journalists in Indonesia kicked off a 23-city screening tour this week. Hundreds have already attended four public screenings in Jakarta; at the first one, the theater owner had to set up an extra screen to accommodate the crowds.

The surge in public support shows the Indonesian public is far ahead of the government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, which has so far supported the censors. The day after the ban, the Foreign Minister told parliament the decision would protect Indonesia's public image.

Mr. Yudhoyono, a former general, has remained silent. This isn't the first time that Mr. Yudhoyono hasn't stood up for his people's constitutional rights. He has allowed censorship of the press and curbs on freedom of religion under his watch, too. A tacit endorsement of the "Balibo" ban would continue what is becoming a dangerous pattern.