REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, NUSA DUA -- Vice Foreign Affairs Minister Wardana has said developing democracies should be supported by media freedom to encourage freedom of expression.

"At this time, there can be no democracy without a free mass media. No amount of elections will bring democracy to a people who do not know things, cannot express themselves, and cannot make legitimate demands," stated Wardana in his opening speech at the Fifth Bali Media Forum here on Wednesday.

According to Wardana, the level of press freedom is a measurement of the democratic governance of a society.

Despite the legitimization of freedom of expression, society should be limited only by everyone's right to know the truth, he said.

"Freedom of expression is not absolute. One's right to freedom of expression is limited by the right of others to know the truth and to uphold their reputation, as well as by the right of society to enjoy public order," Wardana stated.

He also suggested that freedom of expression should not be used to spread hate-filled messages.

"We must combat hatred, whether it is spread through the word of mouth, through conventional mass media, or through cyberspace," Wardana remarked.

The Bali Media Forum is held concurrently with the Bali Democracy Forum (BDF) hosted by the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry in Nusa Dua, Bali.

Indonesia will host the BDF on Nov. 7 and 8, 2013, seeing attendance by 81 countries as well as three international organizations.

A number of heads of state will attend the forum, including Sultan of Brunei Darussalam Hassanal Bolkiah, Prime Minister of Timor Leste Xanana Gusmao, and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who will open the forum on the first day.

The Ministry has chosen the theme "Consolidating Democracy in a Pluralistic Society" to support developing democracies throughout the world.

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