The Indonesian house of representatives passed the controversial anti-pornography bill at the end of last month. It’s indeed a sad sad day, and I’m disappointed of Indonesia. Won’t go the length to say I’m embarrassed, anyway the country’s part of my identity and I’m still proud of my heritage.
The final draft of the bill in Indonesian here.
Some of the points that irks me most:
Article 1: Definition
Pornography is drawings, sketches, illustrations, photographs, texts, voices, sound, moving pictures, animations, cartoons, poetry, conversations, gestures, or other forms of communicative messages through various kinds of media; and/or performances in front of the public, which may incite obscenity, sexual exploitation and/or violate moral ethics in the community.
So let’s say I get turned on listening to SBY delivering a speech addressing the nation on poverty, this means the Indonesian President’s speech is pornography!
Article 14
Production, distribution, and consumption of sexual materials are allowed for the importance of and has the value of:
a. art and culture
b. local customs, and
c. traditional rituals
Now I wonder, where’s SCIENCE in the list? This means human anatomy diagrams in biology books will be banned, doesn’t it? They’re pictures of naked humans afterall, and who knows what high-school kid masturbates to pictures of reproductive organs in their textbooks.
And of course, the biggest concern to many who opposed it is that the bill endorses individuals and groups to take initiative in enforcing the bill.
What saddens me most here is how narrow-minded people are. A common opinion supporting the bill is that by eliminating pornography from the face of Indonesia will somehow prevent corruption and prevent Indonesia from falling further in the downward spiral, and this bill is the correct first step in “fixing the country’s moral”.
“This is what we need to fight pornography. This law will complete our legal system to protect us from pornographic materials,” Religious Affairs Minister Maftuh Basyuni said.
“If our husbands are (exposed to) pornography then our families will be destroyed.”
“Now our children are safe,” said Lasmiantini, chairwoman of Salima’s Bekasi chapter.
I’m lost there. Why should we be protected from pornography anyway? Pornography isn’t doing anything to us, it’s our own responsibility not to access it if we’re offended by it! Maybe Mr. Basyuni needs the bill to help him with his porn addiction. What’s next? Making pork illegal so we can be protected from pork? And who guarantees that banning pornography will turn your drunk and violent husband from further destroying your family or raping your own daughter?
I really have no idea how a pornography ban will magicamally turn the poverty and corruption stricken nation 180 degrees into a polished first world country.
Or maybe in the land of crazies I’m the retarded one. Maybe the bill can somehow actually eliminate poverty and hunger. Maybe I’m just not wise enough to understand how.
*a big sigh*
