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Porn bill committee OK's bikinis at resorts
The House of Representatives' special committee debating the controversial pornography bill will allow tourists to wear bikinis at tourist resorts in a bid to ensure tourism is not negatively affected by the controversial legislation
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The House of Representatives' special committee debating the controversial pornography bill will allow tourists to wear bikinis at tourist resorts in a bid to ensure tourism is not negatively affected by the controversial legislation.
"Tourists are allowed to wear bikinis in tourism resorts like Bali and Parang Tritis beach (in Yogyakarta). The porn bill will treat recreational and leisure areas differently," lawmaker Husein Abdul Azis of the Democratic Party said Thursday.
There have been fears among domestic tourism operators that the bill would deter tourists from visiting because it would recquire them to wear "appropriate" clothing.
Bali is the country's top tourist destination. Indonesia aims to attract 7 million tourists this year and collect some US$6.7 billion in foreign exchange revenue.
Head of the House's special committee deliberating the pornography bill, Balkan Kaplale, said his team had made some changes to contentious articles in the bill, finalizing the terms before lawmakers begin their recess period starting on Oct. 30.
"I can say there have been drastic changes in the bill," said Balkan of the Golkar Party. The changes act as a compromise to the growing opposition movements to the bill.
Despite concerns for tourism, speculation continues to mount over Articles 21 and 22 of the bill, which stipulate that the public is allowed to "directly involve" itself in preventive measures against pornography. Critics have said the articles could put the law into the hands of civilians, including hardliners.
Husein said the committee had already added additional explanations to those particular articles of concern.
"The bill has made it clear now that such preventive measures are only applicable to the authority of the police and prosecutors," he said.
However, lawmakers are still discussing the much criticized definition of pornography, he said.
Article 1 of the bill defines pornography as any man-made work that includes sexual material in the form of drawings, sketches, illustrations, photographs, text, sound, moving pictures, animation, cartoons, poetry, conversations or any other form of communicative message.
Lawmaker Muhaimin Iskandar of the National Awakening Party (PKB) said the committee would inform the public about changes to the bill before Oct. 28.
"We must publicize the changes in the media. This bill should no longer be creating controversy and should be ready to be passed," Muhaimin said.
The committee will bring the bill to the House consultative body next Tuesday.
"If the body approves the bill, the House will bring it to the plenary session and pass it either on Oct. 28 or Oct. 30."
