So what do you have to hide?
It is all very well removing thoroughly illegal stamps restricting access, like the notorious “not to be printed” and “not to be published”, however being just as secretive under different labels will not wash.
Three new Orders have been issued, all stamped “DCK” [“For official use only”].
- Security Service [SBU] Order from 26 March No. 173/DCK
- Order of the SBU and Prosecutor General’s Office from 15 April 2009 No. 230/33/DCK
- Order of the Administration of the State Service for Special Communications and Protection of Information, the Service of Foreign Intelligence from 15 April 2009 No. 42/DCK/80DCK
Now obviously there are State secrets which need to be protected. Nobody would deny this, especially in the activities of the bodies mentioned above.
Only, there is also a law on State secrets and perfectly adequate mechanisms for ensuring protection of the said secrets.
These would tell the public not what the secrets were, of course, but that concealment of the information might well be in the country’s interests.
Whereas Orders which blushingly carry the meaningless but secretive “For official use only” simply raise eyebrows and questions as to what they have to hide.
«Maidan» Alliance reports that since the beginning of the year at least 26 legal acts have been issued by State bodies with the stamp “For official use only”.
From information at www.maidan.org.ua