Issue: ‘Ex-chief editor of ‘Playboy’ arrested in Bali’

Public indecency?: Former Playboy Indonesia chief editor Erwin Arnada (center), flanked by his attorney, Todung Mulya Lubis, and a police officer, talk to journalists at the South Jakarta District Court about his arrest on Oct. 9. The Supreme Court sentenced him to two years’ imprisonment for public indecency.JP/Wendra Ajistyatama

Oct. 9, Online: South Jakarta Prosecutors’ Office arrested the former chief editor of Playboy Indonesia, Erwin Arnada, at the Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali on Saturday. M. Yusuf, the office’s chief, told kompas.com that Erwin was on his way to board a plane to Jakarta. Erwin has defied the office summons after the Supreme Court granted the prosecutors’ appeal in July 2009 and sentenced him to two years in prison for public indecency. The Indonesian edition of Playboy stirred controversy when it hit newsstands in 2006, causing an uproar among several Islamic groups that described the men’s magazine as a symbol of moral decadence. South Jakarta District Court cleared Erwin of all charges in 2007 when presiding judge Efran Basuning said the photographs presented at Erwin’s trial were not pornographic. Jakarta High Court later also cleared Erwin of all charges and later the prosecutors filed another appeal against the ruling.

Your comments:

What a farce. Where are the victims of this man’s crimes? There are none.
But more efforts are placed on his apprehension than the arrest of those responsible for anti-Christian violence in Jakarta. This is beyond a joke.
Diggas
Pekalongan

Now you know where your taxes go and what has priority. When church followers are attacked and houses are burned there are no arrests. But for Indonesian public enemies like the former Playboy editor and Ariel, there is enough money and time. It is another sad day for Indonesia.
Dewi
Jakarta

Funny, the guy is put in jail because some holy than holier Wahhabis saw an offense from the name of the magazine alone (what else?), but when violent groups attack, assault, destroy, stab, etc., they stay free?
Edo E.
Jakarta

It’s about the law in Indonesia. It may be different from the view of Western people.
This is in Indonesia.
Encus
Jakarta
 
The authorities have to get their priorities right. They have to use their resources to investigate violent mobs like those on Jl. Ampera, South Jakarta, and Tarakan in East Kalimantan, FPI members.
 The only “crime” Erwin Arnada committed was to advance Indonesia’s freedom of speech. Adult citizens have the right to read, hear and watch adult content if they wish.
The goal of anti-pornographic laws should be first and foremost to protect children from the exposure to adult magazine content and to protect adults from abuse and crime related to the porn industry. Yes, this is an industry — a multi-billion dollar industry. Please wake up.
Adults, by definition, are mature and can make their own life decisions including whether to read Playboy or not.
In that respect, the government does not have the right to tell an adult citizen what to read, watch or do in their private lives.
Andi M. Dahlan
Jakarta

How about the completely indecent behavior of House members? Let’s see some lawsuits there.
Mark
Denpasar

Did I miss something? As far as I know there was no nudity in Playboy Indonesia and it was no different to both international (FHM, Maxim, etc.) magazines and local tabloids already in circulation long before. So how is this suddenly illegal?
Free Erwin!
Hendrakido
Jakarta