[nasional_list] [ppiindia] Condemning pornography easier than dealing with corruption
- From: "Ambon" <sea@xxxxxxxxxx>
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- Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 12:58:37 +0100
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Condemning pornography easier than dealing with corruption
Soeryo Winoto, Jakarta
"He who knows not that he knows not is a fool, shun him!"
That's the old saying for ignorant people who are not aware of their ignorance,
but instead believe they are smart.
The House of Representatives might want to consider this saying as a House
special committee deliberates the controversial pornography bill.
Echoes of what the lawmakers believe is an effort to save the nation from moral
catastrophe have also been heard at National Police Headquarters. Police have
been deployed to conduct street raids against the sellers of "pornographic"
magazines, VCDs and DVDs.
It is obvious the legislature's discussions of the bill have not been well
thought out. It all began with a certain group of emotional and interested
people, who have yet to be able to define what pornography actually is.
The articles on pornography in the Criminal Code have yet to be properly
enforced. The Criminal Code is actually strong enough to curb the spread of
obscenity among the public. In 1984, several photo models got four months in
jail each for posing in an erotic calendar, while the photographer got six
months in jail for violating Article 282 of the Criminal Code.
In 2001, model Sophia Latjuba was questioned at National Police Headquarters
after pictures of her were published that the police considered "seductive".
Latjuba was released without further legal action being taken, while the editor
of the local magazine which ran the pictures was left untouched.
Now, actor Anjasmara has been named a suspect for posing in what the police
call improper photos, which were featured at an art exhibition in Jakarta last
September. Those responsible for the photos claim the pictures of Anjasmara and
female model Isabel Yahya are works of art, not pornography, while law
enforcers seem convinced Anjasmara violated the laws on pornography.
All of this indicates the Criminal Code is forceful enough to deal with
pornography, the definition of which remains absurd.
Then why is the House determined to pass a new law on pornography?
Amid the absurdity and uncertainty over the definition of pornography, several
non-governmental organizations dealing with women's affairs have staged
protests against the deliberation of the bill on pornography.
The groups have criticized the House for wasting money and energy discussing
the bill, which they claim ignores women's sexual rights. The draft bill
explains that what is meant by "sensual" parts of the body includes women's
genitals, thighs, hips, buttocks, navels and breasts.
The bill focuses on the female body, meaning that a woman's body is
misinterpreted as something that disturbs morality. It is unclear if the
commission dealing with the bill is dominated by men who are easily lured by
the beauty of women.
The women's groups also said the House was turning a blind eye to the reality
of poverty, which -- to some extent -- has forced women into prostitution and
the porn industry.
The fact that the draft bill contains exceptions to what the House describes as
pornography means the pornography law will be ambiguous and that its
enforcement will be preposterous. There will be debates over what law enforcers
deem pornographic. Some ethnic groups also worry that what they consider art
and part of their tradition will be condemned by the authorities as indecent.
The Balinese have reportedly protested the pornography bill because it is
feared the law will affect tourism. Kuta Beach in Bali is well-known for its
topless foreign sunbathers.
While -- honestly -- nobody in Indonesia is able to precisely define what the
House and law enforcers mean by pornography, there is a lot of speculation as
to why the House and the police are so insistent on the need for a pornography
law when the Criminal Code would seem sufficient.
First, for certain idealistic individuals and groups, efforts to get the
pornography bill through the House is probably motivated by larger political
interests camouflaged as religious concern.
Second, pornography is the safest evil for people to condemn. Corruption is
more damaging than what many Indonesians are defining as pornography. And
corruption is present at all levels of our society, involving people from all
educational and religious backgrounds.
The author is a staff writer at The Jakarta Post.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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