T

he Solidarity for Peace in Diversity (Solidaritas) on Thursday launched a website titled Nusantara Online, aimed at providing complete and constantly updated legal data on the country's pluralism, or lack of it.

Solidaritas' Yeni Rosa Damayanti said the website was set up in response to the perceived legal threats to Indonesia's pluralism.

"There is a perception that Indonesia does not adhere to the Pancasila and the Constitution as a legal basis anymore.

"*The website* is an effort to maintain pluralism," she told The Jakarta Post.

The website, available at www.nusantaraonline.org, offers visitors information on bylaws, government regulations, laws and covenants.

Clicking the "Bylaw" tab after choosing a region, such as Aceh, for instance, gives viewers a list of bylaws that are, or may in the future be, applied in the region.

Exploring further, the 2003 Aceh canon on adultery, for example, is displayed in a portable document format along with information on when the canon was issued and when it came into effect.

Visitors to the site can read about the prohibition of adultery, or acts deemed to lead to adultery, along with the penalties for violators, such as caning with a rattan whip, after downloading the document.

Many can benefit from Nusantara Online - not to be mistaken with gaming website www.nusantara-online.com - including activists, lecturers, journalists and even members of the parliament, Yeni said.

She said that activists in support of pluralism, often have trouble presenting evidence when facing legislators about legal products deemed as threats to the country's "unity in diversity".

National Awakening Party (PKB) politician Ali Maschan Musa, a member of Commission VII of the House of Representatives, affirmed that some House members were deprived of up-to-date knowledge of legal products.

"There are many kinds of legislators. Some of them do not pay attention to these issues, while others are more concerned about power and politics," Ali said.

He added that pluralism, which is related to country's ideology Pancasila was part of the nationalism issue.