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Tourism industry backs efforts to challenge the porn bill
Ni Komang Erviani , The Jakarta Post , Denpasar | Wed, 11/05/2008 10:36 AM | Bali
Members of Bali's tourism industry declared their support Tuesday for efforts to legally challenge the recently passed pornography bill, calling the bill a violation of individual rights and an egregious monopoly on cultural values.
Head of Bali Tourism Board (BTB) Ida Bagus Ngurah Wijaya said the industry was ready to support any legal challenge made to the pornography bill, including the plan by the Bali People's Component (KRB) to file a judicial review with the Constitutional Court.
He regretted the passing of the bill, saying it was a violation of personal rights and a blatant attempt to standardize public values.
"Thus we are in full support of KRB's attempt to have a judicial review of the bill," he said at Denpasar's BTB office.
He further applauded the island's leaders, Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika and Speaker of the Bali Provincial Legislative Council (DPRD) Ida Bagus Putu Wesnawa, who last Friday had declared that the province would not carry out the law because it was not in line with the island's philosophical and social values.
"That was indeed representative of our Balinese feelings as a community. We salute and support the governor and DPRD speaker."
When asked whether the tourism industry would be at stake should the bill become law once the president signs it, Ngurah said he was not worried.
Ngurah said the island's united approach in dealing with the bill would automatically halt any effort to apply the law on the island.
"We are not worried at all. We are certain that the central government will not be able to apply that bill in Bali because the people here have denounced it."
In a separate interview, head of the Bali Tourism Workers Union (SP Par), Badung I Putu Satyawira, also declared his support for a judicial review of the pornography bill, calling it a threat to the 11,582 members of his union and the Balinese public as a whole.
"We are in full support of the judicial review because it is obviously detrimental to our business and our livelihood," he said.
He echoed Ngurah's statement and said that the pornography bill dove deep into people's personal matters.
Satyawira said the bill was a violation of basic human rights, and that it would be an "egregious" violation of human rights if the country's leaders allowed the bill to become law.
"Deciding for ourselves what is right is a god-given individual right. We simply cannot condone the fact that the bill is trying to meddle in our personal lives," he said.
He further lambasted the House's attempt to standardize public values, which threatens Indonesia's pluralistic culture.
"We should not allow Indonesia, rich as it is in various cultures, to be standardized for ambiguous interests," he said.
Satyawira said the pornography bill would hurt employees in the tourist industry financially since it might discourage tourists from visiting the island.
"Bali has always been known as a tolerant culture, and we have done pretty well all on our own filtering the various cultures which have entered Bali."
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Muslim — Tue, 11/18/2008 - 4:53am
The porn bill is not good for everyone, especially for those whose earning money from tourism industry for their income or the islands that dependently on tourism industries like West Papua, North Sulawesi, Bali and other islands.
The central government in Jakarata is crazy and I hated the bill is they pass it into law. If the c. government doesn't want the street children getting abused by the nasty men, they (the gov') must create a place for those street children for their protection. The gov' should give free school for those financial problem like street children or any subsidy to help poor family to make their children go to school and be smarter like the people that run the central gov'.
To help the poor people in Jakarta or elsewhere, the gov' should lower the price of food or everything or else give some subsidy to the poor family, create jobs, so that people could go and work, no jobless people would be at the street of Jakarta.
Indonesia's archipelago is so wide and thus creates many difference cultures, from Dayak to modern Indonesia, Indonesia has 500 dialect with some of 300 ethnic groups in Indonesia alone. In some parts of Indonesia today, there are still people who don't wear clothes like in Papua or may be in Bali or in N. Sulawesi because they are used to this may be billion years ago it started, so you (c. gov') cannot ask them to wear something on their bodies and of course they hated the porn bill.
The idea of passing the porn bill, I suppose is from people in c. gov' that believe in Sharia group (Shia Muslim followers). You know what, there are may be twice or 4x of Shia muslim followers in Indonesia that follow Muslim Sunis or the modern Muslim in Indonesia, which is like me or my family. There are many muslim girls on the street don't cover up their head like many muslim girls in Pakistan or Afghanistan and/or may be in Saudi Arabia.
Hey my c. gov', we are not in Pakistan yet or in Saudi Arabia yet, we are still in Indonesia where people have their choice to do or to put something on of their bodies especially for those girls or women.
What do you think, that Bali's earn much of their money come from tourism industries and they (Bali's gov') offer their guests (tourists) to come to Bali and enjoy the beach and night life in Kuta, Bali is so romantic too for most people. So, tourists or Bule I would say, come to Bali Island and spend their money there, so that's why Bali Island is rich, but too bad that money goes to c. gov'.
Balinese people are working hard for their tourism industries and they money that they get goes to c. gov', do you think Balinese people won't get angry because of the porn bill is being passed.
May be the c. gov' people work there that involve in the corruption should move their asses out of their seat in the gov' rooms because they are the one that create our problem in this beautiful country, Indonesia. You know what, Indonesia is very famous in the world, but about corruption. Do you think is good for Indonesian people around in the world to hear about this. Hack not...
Now another problem that the c. gov' in Jakarta dealing with banning people to smoke in public. I cannot believe what my own gov' did to their own people, banning people not smoke in public won't work. I know this.
If the gov' is nothing to do, may be you should create jobs, public parks or anything that benefiting the society or people.
I hope Indonesian government's constitution doesn't go to Pakistan or Afghanistan (like gov's' constitution in both Pakistan and Afghanistan). We'll see I guess in the future.
Jon (not verified) — Sat, 11/15/2008 - 7:36pm
Bali as to demand a special otonomy to manage it self. Bali tourist industry is of 6,7 billion dollards a year. how much of that does bali get back to invest in improving infrastructure. As Indonesia is becoming more islamic Bali as to get its own local laws for example like legaly not inforcing the porn bill would be a start and then like easier visas for tourist and working permits for foreigners who want to work In Bali. We should never forget that Bali is what it is today because of foreigners bringing new ideas and designs and thus helping the balinesse people to compete internationaly. Foreigners have help more to promote bali then has the central government of jakarta.