Letter: Pornographic bill

Tue, 10/07/2008 9:57 AM  |  Reader's Forum

This is a response to an article titled "Think twice before passing the pornography bill, (The Jakarta Post, Sept. 22.)

The author asks: "How vague can the definition of 'arousing lust' be?"

I say: I agree. This country often makes unclear policies like with this bill, and in its handling of the Ahmadiyah case.

The author said: "People of Papua, for example, who are accustomed to a degree of nudity will be made to feel morally inferior."

I ask: Have you read the latest suggestion that has been included into the pornography bill? Cultural performances, and local wisdom are exception.

The author said: "The bill will make criminals of artists who study the nude figure, poets who evoke erotic visions, filmmakers who show too much flesh and novelists who describe scenes of lovemaking."

I said: I challenge you and other artists, film makers, or novelists to create great art, novels, movies etc., without exposing women, nudity or sex. A punk rock band from LA called Bad Religion never exposes nudity, sex, love or women, but they could be the best punk rock band in the world.

I think you know numerous examples of art that does not expose women, nudity, sex and love. Key?

The author said: "There are so many other urgent issues that the House of Representatives should concern itself with, such as corruption in Parliament ..."

I said: If you think moral decadence is not an urgent matter, I say it is.

Those cases you said above could be avoided if this country viewed good deeds as good matters, and evil deeds as bad things. The author said: "The Soho area of London's West End is famous for its sex joints".

I said: How come we are comparing Indonesia to the UK?

IRFAN MELODIC
Jakarta

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Tofan (not verified) — Thu, 10/09/2008 - 11:45am

On his article, Irfan Melodic wrote:
The author said: "People of Papua, for example, who are accustomed to a degree of nudity will be made to feel morally inferior."
followed by:
I ask: Have you read the latest suggestion that has been included into the pornography bill? Cultural performances, and local wisdom are exception.

This clearly suggests that Irfan Melodic and other "smart" people who are in favor of passing this bill, are the kind of people who consider other cultures and wisdoms (other than Irfan's of course) to be having pornographic intentions. As for myself, I have a Javanese background and I am used to traditional Javanese dancers performing "Serimpi" with their beautifully traditional outfits (that of course has been around for several centuries now); if there was a sicko who got aroused by watching traditional dance, don't all of you think it's better to check that one particular sicko's head instead of banning the the dance for all the people in Indonesia?

Another thought: if let's say somebody is aroused by looking at Inneke Koesherawaty (a beautiful actress who is known for wearing jilbaab), should we then punish the people who wear jilbaab or we punish people who get aroused by looking at those who wear jilbaab?

Bill (not verified) — Wed, 10/08/2008 - 12:22pm

Indonesia already has very comprehensive laws against pornography. This bill, as I understand, will do nothing whatsoever to further these laws. At the same time though due to the corruption endemic in your country it is incredibly easy to get hold of pornography. In much the same way prostitution is outlawed, but it is almost everywhere while the police look the other way (presumably for their cut).

Perhaps the government should put its energies into enforcing the perfectly adequate laws it already has rather than creating a vague bill that will be open to abuse and give a green light to vigilantes. Reading the definition given in the last draft of the bill a conversation between man and wife about sex would constitute a pornographic act.

Schmerly (not verified) — Wed, 10/08/2008 - 9:31am

It's time to open your eye's Mr Irfan Melodic, there is a whole world out there! not just in the confines of your narrow mindedness, stop being such a prude and look around the world of art masterpieces you will find people naked! and this has been going on for hundreds of years, long before you and I were here.

T. Cotton, Pattaya, Thailand (not verified) — Tue, 10/07/2008 - 5:28pm

In my view, many supporters of the so-called Pornography Bill have legitimate prejudices against pornography, perhaps from a religious or prudish perspective. However, if the bill was more properly renamed "the Anti-Tourism, Anti-Art and Anti-Women Bill", the numbers of adherents would sharply decline.

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