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GIO defends itself over U-turn charges

The government yesterday defended its decision to allow the Special Report series of VCDs mocking pan-blue politicians to continue to be produced, saying that the government must fully follow the spirit of freedom of speech.

"While the content of written publications, including those from broadcasting and television companies, do not have to be reviewed before publishing," said Government Information Office Director-General Huang Hui-chen (黃輝珍) yesterday, "there is no reason for the government to take special aim at any particular disc."

Huang announced on Monday night that publications or products which discuss public issues do not need to be sent to the GIO for review.

This decision gave the Special Report VCDs a legal base for continued production, but it appeared to be directly opposed to the stance he had taken last week in the Legislative Yuan.

Last week Huang said the VCDs were an "illegal" product because the producers had not obtained a circulation license from the GIO.

The opposition parties condemned Huang's announcement yesterday as a policy U-turn.

Huang denied there had been any pressure from the Presidential Office or the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to reverse the government's policy.

"The GIO did not receive any pressure," Huang said, "so the opposition parties' speculation is groundless."

"Any effort by the government to draw up a framework as a standard for press freedom or freedom of speech would not succeed because such an intention would not be supported by the public," he said.

Huang said history had shown that the stricter the government had defined and limited freedom of speech, the more it was criticized.

"The GIO amended the Broadcasting and Television Law (廣播電視法) and its regulations to remove the inappropriate restraints imposed during the former authoritarian era," Huang said, "and the draft amendment was sent to the Legislative Yuan in July."

Taking into consideration the public's reaction and the developments in the intellectual-property-rights field, he said, the GIO decided to adopt the proposed law as its criterion, even though the law had not yet been passed by legislators.

Meanwhile, during a question- and-answer session at the legislature yesterday, Premier Yu Shyi-kun said the Cabinet had instructed the GIO to conduct an overall review of any archaic regulations related to press freedom and free speech.

"The GIO will give a clear definition of what is meant by `discussing public issues' as a general principle for all levels of local government to follow," Yu said.

Huang said the uproar over the Special Report VCDs had helped the GIO realize that many of the laws and regulations governing the media were outdated.

"We can give an overall review that will meet public expectations," he said.

He said that while the government would protect freedom of speech, it would not take steps that would impinge upon a person's right to file a libel suit.

"We urge the staff of the company that produced the VCDs to come forward and answer the allegations against them," he said.

In related news, the Presidential Office drew a line yesterday between President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and the VCDs, saying that the government had adopted the strictest standards to ensure its performance in following the principle of freedom of speech.

"We will not support the argument that just because they have condemned us for the past three-and-a-half years, we can fight back in the same manner, even if it is only for seven minutes," said Presidential Office Spokesman James Huang (黃志芳).
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