MEXICO CITY, April 24 (Reuters) -- The lower house of the Mexican
                 Congress approved a measure on Wednesday that would open secret files on
                 a 1968 student massacre.

                 The Chamber of Deputies approved the public access law on Wednesday and sent
                 it to the Senate for final passage.

                 Proposed by Mexican President Vicente Fox, the bill could open potentially
                 explosive government files on the 1968 massacre of students by state forces, and
                 other atrocities committed by the Institutional Revolution Party during its 71-year
                 reign.

                 The Institutional Revolution Party, ousted by Fox in 2000, is blamed for a "dirty
                 war" in which hundreds of leftists have disappeared since the 1960s. The initial
                 official death toll in the 1968 student massacre was put at around 30 but activists
                 believe more than 300 were killed.

                 The bill has support from parties across the political spectrum and includes
                 amendments from the leftist Party of the Democratic Revolution.

                 "Darkness surrounding state acts has perversely fed the flourishing of abuse of
                 power and a brutal violation of human rights," said Deputy Miguel Barbosa Party of
                 the Democratic Revolution.

                 The bill provides for the continued confidentiality of documents -- for up to 12
                 years -- if publicizing the information would threaten national security, international
                 relations or economic stability.

                 Certain information on trade, industry, finances, banking and the judicial
                 proceedings also would be protected from public scrutiny.

                 And the measure would create an oversight panel to decide cases in which access
                 to information is disputed.

                  Copyright 2002 Reuters.