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Jakarta Post

Editorial: Private parts

Indonesians are more united than we think

The Jakarta Post
Thu, June 10, 2010

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Editorial: Private parts

I

ndonesians are more united than we think. On the road, motorists like to make sure no one’s in the way; at the sight of different worshippers, we like to ensure everyone knows who’s God is best. But yesterday the latest news from East Nusa Tenggara was not another neighborly raid on the Ahmadiyah sect; it was the townspeople flocking to the nearest “warnet” or Internet cafe, hunting for the best home videos of the week.

Come prime time everyone was hunkering down to the latest “infotainment” on all the channels of the videos allegedly featuring well-loved stars Ariel and Luna Maya, followed by Ariel and Cut Tari, followed by Ariel and so-and-so, probably up to a dozen or so leading ladies starring with the vocalist of Peterpan, now dubbed Peterporn, according to reports.

All the world’s aflutter on this side of the globe  —  parents are striving to have kids stay as blissfully ignorant as possible amid the constant repetitions of the more polite snippets of the video.  

The broadcasting commission has warned media companies they could be violating regulations on distributing indecency. Ministers have raised warnings about the  law on information and electronic transaction and the law on pornography, the definition in which offenses could even cover those downloading and saving “indecent” content. The education minister has warned against the “destructive” impact of the videos on children.

With the new laws we now have more regulations and wider coverage of those involved in anything dubbed “porn”.  Police are right in placing priority on the distri-butor of the images, rather than seeking to penalize those featured in the video. It will be interesting too see how law enforcers use the new controversial laws that regulate private matters.

These were passed in 2008 as a nod to morality hawks and those seeking more control over society, despite criticism regarding their clarity. The pornography law aimed, among others, “to give moral education”, and “prevent the spread of pornography”.

How such laws are to be applied is still in question. From a glance at those flocking around all screens big and small, it looks like the jails will be mighty full of those who would be declared guilty of “downloading, saving” and distributing the images.

Something is really wrong with this picture. Whether the videos were “doctored” or not as the starlets said, they will mature, knowing better what is expected for those in the limelight, and might even become more popular than before.

But what about society? Despite the new laws it is unlikely things will change any time soon. We will continue this hypocrisy — demonizing the stars for  immorality, going to the trouble of raiding mobile phones across schools, while  taking a long peek all the same.

We wish good luck to those who would rid society of its voyeurism — but law enforcers should better focus on clear goals of criminalizing those who made private matters public. For they are making the future fairly bleak for some young people likely unprepared for a whole nation of peeping Toms.

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