An estimated five thousand Balinese flocked to the local
legislative council building in Denpasar on Wednesday, demanding
legislators' to pay attention to their perspective on the
controversial pornography bill.
Traditional dancers in semi-transparent clothing and
traditional music artists participated at the mass rally, which
was organized by the Bali People's Component (KRB) and comprised
of human rights and student activists.
"We want to show the Indonesians that all ethnic groups in
Bali are united to free them from a legal product, which will
hurt our position of being an archipelagic nation," said Sugi
Lanus of KRB.
He said the bill was a product of a single group's perspective
and did not represent the perspective of the rest of the
country's ethnic groups and, therefore, did not meet the
requirement to be endorsed as a new law.
"Balinese views the human body as an aesthetic value, while
the porn bill supporters view it as if it were the source of sin
and lust. This is the major different between us and them," he
said.
Luh Anggraeni, another activist, reiterated the bill was a
serious threat to the country's unity as it discriminated many
other cultures in Indonesia.
"The government should never forget that Indonesia is a
country that is made based on an agreement of non-discrimination
over race, religion and ethnic tribe, while this porn bill is a
serious threat toward the country's diversity condition," she
said.
Representing the local legislative council, Ida Bagus Putu
Wesnawa, promised that the council would not stay silent and
would meet the legislators in Jakarta next week to bring the
aspiration of the Balinese people.
"We will tell them that we will reject the porn bill, if it is
passed into law," Wesnawa said.
Ari Astina, a drummer of the Superman is Dead pop band, said
his worry was based on the fact that anything, including songs,
associated with pornography under the would-be law could be
subject to legal punishment, regardless of their lyrics.
"Actually whether its pornographic or not depends on how it is
seen. If someone is full of dirty mind, anything can be
considered pornographic," said Ari, who is popularly known as
Jerinx.
