1. The Second Conference of ASEAN Ministers responsible for Information was held onl and 2 August 1991 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
2. The Conference was attended by H.E. Pehin Dato Isa bin Haji Ibrahim, Special Adviserto His Majesty the Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam and Minister of Home Affairs; H.E. Mr. Harmoko, Minister of Information of the Republic of Indonesia; H.E. Mr. Rodolfo C. Severino, Jr., the Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to Malaysia; H.E. Brigadier-General George Yeo, Minister for Information and the Arts of the Republic of Singapore; H.E. Mr. Mechai Viravaidya, Minister of the Prime Minister's Office (Information) of Thailand, and their respective delegations. H.E. Mr. Rusli Noor, Secretary-General of the ASEAN Secretariat and members of his staff were in attendance.
3. The Conference was opened by H.E. Dato Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia. In his speech the Prime Minister said advances in communication technology had been largely beneficial to mankind as distances had been reduced and people could talk to one another at the push of a few buttons.
4. Dr. Mahathir said the freedom of the press was now accepted as an essential part of democracy. "Quite rightly the dissemination of news by the press should not be suppressed".
5. However, he said, this freedom could be and had been misused to create totally erroneous views and opinions as well as to undermine the stability and even the economy of countries. "And events have shown that guardians and practitioners of press freedom are not a verse tousing this unlimited licence."
6. He said, "if freedom of the press is to be meaningful, then every one should be able to present his side of the story." But this was now always possible for non-English speaking nations since English speaking nations largely controlled the world press.
7. Dr. Mahathir said that since ASEAN was a group of developing nations it needed as little hindrance as possible. As such, the people needed not only to be appreciative of their rights but also of their responsibilities.
8. The Prime Minister said that the ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information faced a daunting task, having to be responsible for both the free flow of information as well as ensuring stability of their countries.
9. The Prime Ministers deliberated on various issues of common interest to the ASEAN region pertaining to information. At the conclusion of their Conference the Ministers:
9.1. reaffirmed their desire to enhance ASEAN Press Cooperation and Interpersonal Media, as well as the principles of ASEAN Cooperation in the areas of Radio, TV, Film and Video agreed upon at the First Conference of ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information held in Jakarta from 21 to 25 May 1989. They reviewed developments in Information which have affected the ASEAN region and discussed areas of mutual concern.
9.2. called for an enlightened and dynamic approach to the management of Information which would help to reinforce the new directions of ASEAN Cooperation affirmed at the 24th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in Kuala Lumpur. The Ministers expressed confidence that the future held tremendous promise for the fast developing economies of ASEAN. Recognising that ASEAN has matured significantly, they observed that there is a need to further enhance ASEAN's regional and international im age and to promote ASEAN as a stable prosperous region. This awareness and appreciation of ASEAN's strength must be nurtured in line with the development of ASEAN's political and economic cohesiveness.
9.3. agreed that :
(i) ASEAN member countries should encourage a freer and more balanced flow of information to facilitate the effective marketing of ASEAN within the region and internationally. Member countries should work towards eradicating existing impediments to achieve this objective;
(ii) action be taken to actively promote ASEAN's image internationally through planned programmes and activities such as film festivals, exhibitions, cultural performances and publications on relevant matters of common interest;
(iii) steps be taken towards promoting and better understanding of the values and sensitivities of the ASEAN peoples by the foreign media. In view of the concern over the continuing imbalance and biased reporting by some quarters of the foreign media, member countries should share their experience in overcoming this problem.
9.4. noted the advances in Information Technology have profound long-term implications. Whilst many of these technological advances hold the promise of enhancing the dissemination of Information, there are nonetheless areas of concern. Member countries should harness these resources to communicate ASEAN's ideals and achievements more effectively within the region and internationally. Towards this end, new ways to strengthen information networking within and outside the region should also explore ways of studying and sharing experiences in coping with the impact of this technology on the indigenous traditions, cultures and values of ASEAN.
9.5. agreed that member countries should implement suitable programmes of ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information consistent with the agreed principles in cooperation arrived at the First Conference of ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information in Jakarta.
9.6. in recognition of the fact that some aspects of these agreed principles on cooperation can be implemented by member countries on a bilateral basis, agreed that such arrangements should be encouraged to enhance and to complement ASEAN cooperation.
10. The Ministers expressed their profound gratitude to the Government and people of Malaysia for the generous hospitality and excellent arrangements accorded for a successful Conference.
