Forum: Passing anti-porn bill

Sat, 11/01/2008 10:34 AM  |  Reader's Forum

This bill is ridiculous! I feel sorry for normal, educated Indonesian muslims. It is always just a few extremists who give the good majority a bad name. I believe the world is laughing at Indonesia's government. How immature are they? And the people for believing it??

Making these things illegal will only succeed in increasing the price of porn material, and increase corruption as police and officials seek bribes, destroy the tourist industry. What foreigner will want to come to such a strict county with such a silly law?

Also, foreign teachers and investment will leave for the same reason.

This law cannot "save children" or "save our families". The government is using this silly moral law to distract its citizens from the real problems that threaten our children -- a messed-up economy and filthy dirty environment that spreads disease.

Children are dying in Lombok from malnutrition -- I don't see the government trying to pass a bill to save those children.

ARNO
Jakarta

 

Where is Soeharto when you need him?? Bring back the military as a ruler of Indonesia and bring back someone who will run the country with a non-fanatical iron fist.

This law ensures that Indonesia will travel down the path to national ignorance and become another target for U.S. missiles just like Afghanistan and Iraq. Be careful what you wish for -- you might just get it!

ADAM GOLDMAN
Jakarta

 

I hope the substance of Anti-porn law is comprehended by those who have planned to add more sex scandals in future. They, who have such shameful agendas who unfortunately include several house members are feeling disadvantaged by the contents of the Anti-porn law.

No more dangdut singers can be bribed and no more secretaries can be harassed.

Please, for those who are feeling gladdened by this law within the house, try to monitor your colleagues.

MATT MURDOCK
Jakarta

 

The hard-liners at House are more successful than their predecessors in the 50s. Having failed to wrest control through arms and violence, now they find democracy to be a more effective vehicle, all the while pretending to be loyal to Pancasila.

Just watch.

Once being given a slight crack at the door by the gullible and blind lawmakers at the House, it's just a question of time before we see a "peaceful" and "democratic" takeover.

Smart, eh?

TOM P.
Jakarta

 

A sad day for the freedom of the silent majority of fun-loving, independent minded Indonesians.

One hope and consolation is that like so many laws in Indonesia, this one will not be enforced by the police and citizens will not be impacted in their daily lives.

But the real danger now is that extremists have been given a license to terrorize the Indonesian community to enforce their own interpretation of the law.

And the police will again stand by, leaving people to live in fear.

First you run down the education system, then curtail religious freedom, then everyday behavior is regulated (Porn Bill), then finally, the right to think and speak freely is curtailed.

A nation full of people who are regulated in every way is available to be manipulated and used by evil-doers. Wake up Indonesia, before it is too late!

NAIRDAH
Jakarta

 

The Anti-pornography law is overkill. There are laws and regulations in the book that prohibit the sale, distribution and production of pornographic material.

To date, these have not been applied. The new law will simply increase the interests of the oversexed people and the prices of these offensive materials.

The children of Indonesia will not be in any way more protected. If anything, they will be more likely to be victimized.

In the meantime the oversexed and immoral men will continue to prey on young girls and even boys, especially those who are financially challenged.

Our government, Police and many individuals continue to tolerate child brides, contract marriages, unofficial marriages ("suri marriages"), polygamy (that definitely encourages corruption and is truly demeaning to women and disastrous for children) which are insidious but politically acceptable to many.

Our legislators should have paid more attention to the more urgent matters such as corruption amongst their numbers, the poor state of our nation and deteriorating economy of Indonesia.

PAUL E. RANTAU
Singapore

 

Well, if there's one thing that's positive about this, it's that it might change sinetron (television soap opera).

I really hate those shows. Though I guess they won't get better.

ANONJakarta

 

Not in my wildest dreams would this useless bill have been passed!!

It's a very sad day for this big nation. And my condolences to those who were fooled enough to think with this bill would make Indonesia a better place.

ASTI
Jakarta

 

Goodbye, Indonesia. Goodbye, Pancasila. Goodbye, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity). R. ASTARI
Jakarta

 

Indonesia, please educate your people, help them to understand and control their emotions and natural urges, help them to develop and to become responsible acting adults. Then you don't have to put a ban on human life!

Once upon a time, there was a kind of real Pancasila in this huge and wonderful country. But who protects today the idea in "diversity"?

Now the hard-liners come in to take over the helm, slowly creeping in, discriminating against different ethnic groups and looking down on minorities because "we are the majority".

Apropos "to protect the children and families of this country", how about to putting a ban on hailing convicted terrorists?

Because today this is a country where interviews with mass murderer Amrozi and his killer friends get aired on television, and nobody stops them.

How about putting a ban on these constant threats? To protect the children and families of this country!

TOM
Denpasar

 

I am an expatriate married with an Indonesian Muslim woman. The day someone pushes my wife to wear a veil, or says how she has to behave or dress, it will be the day my family and I will take a plane back to Europe and never come back again.

It is a shame that moderate people can not stop this type of law that leads the country to nowhere but more problems and anger.

ANDY
Jakarta

 

Yes, it is a black day, and who benefits from the recent situation in Indonesia, where Muslim women are used as a commodity to please wealthy men, just to promote tourism.

Why are some disappointed when our politicians try to protect our children and families from evil, from the trading of women? Who would prefer to go back to Europe because pornography will be banned?

Please go and I will pay for your ticket. Indonesia will lose nothing if you leave, but will gain a lot when we protect our families.

SAIF
Jakarta

 

I was once a proud of my Indonesian heritage and now I waiver. I find this to be a very disappointing decision. Our country is indeed falling apart with corruption, religious fanatics, and ethnic division.

May common sense prevail and Indonesia be restored to it's former Majapahit glory, rather than it's current Arab wannabe status.

Saif, gambling and pornography were already banned in Indonesia, yet underground casinos and porno VCD/DVD's are readily available. Obviously it isn't working.

This isn't protecting women and children. Other societies around the world have liberal laws and have a statistically lower crime rates than Indonesia.

This is not protection. It's simply appeasing the conservative side of our society.

IAN
Melbourne

 

Saif, I think Andy made it quite clear that his objection wasn't to pornography being banned, but to his wife being told how to dress by strangers. And rightly so.

There is no problem with pornography being banned -- indeed, it already is. There is much danger, however, in the poor wording of this bill.

Saif, if strangers told you that you had to wear the burqa, that you shouldn't leave the house without a family member as an escort, that you shouldn't be allowed to use the Internet, would you obey?

If you are a man, this question is still valid -- we should not impose restrictions on women that we are not willing to impose on ourselves.

ANON
Jakarta

 

Sometimes I wonder whether this country of mine is going to become a cultural desert, where cultural expression is suppressed, women cover their bodies as if they live in an Arabian desert, and fanatics roam the streets, terrorizing people.

I hope I am not in denial, but I don't think it will happen because deep down in the heart of many Indonesians, traditional values linger.

I hope the brouhaha caused by the passing of this bill will die down soon.

Just like anything else in Indonesia, law is meant to be broken, and perhaps, as resistance from the general public mounts, fanatics will be too scared to act.

Or, maybe the military will start to think it's time to step in to maintain unity in the country?

LEWA PARDOMUAN
Singapore

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