ID :
20060
Thu, 09/18/2008 - 01:22
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/20060
The shortlink copeid
CIVIL SOCIETY ACTIVISTS ADMIT NEED FOR LAW AGAINST PORNOGRAPHY
Jakarta, Sept 17 (ANTARA) - A children's welfare activist and a noted author have urged the House of Representatives (DPR) to pass the Pornography Bill after making some necessary changes to its substance.
"A law against pornogrphy is urgently needed to protect our youngsters from pornography and its by-products," Inke Maris, general secretary of the Save Indonesian Children Alliance , said here Wednesday in a discussion on the bill at the Women's Empowerment Ministry.
Pornography was a product of the commercial sex industry which could encourage criminal practices such as women's exploitation and sexual abuse of underaged children, Maris said.
Therefore, the bill should be passed soon so it could further enhance the existing legislation that was protecting society from various social evils such as the laws on films, children's protection, people's trafficking and the press, she said.
However, Maris also said, the House's Pornography Bill Committee should give a clearer definition of the term 'pornography' so it would not cause confusion or misinterpretation in the future.
She also suggested that the bill's chapter 14 on arts and culture be deleted since traditional rituals must not be categorized as pornography. "Chapter 14 about arts and culture must be entirely removed because it will trigger debates and misinterpretation among people," she said.
Another activist and a wellknown author, Taufiq Ismail, also called for the passing of the bill. He suggested that the government form an independent commission to take legal action against pornography. "The government must create a KPK (Corruption Eradication Commission)-like body to fight pornography," he said.
He said pornography was dangerous because it was addictive and could induce people to commit crimes such as rape of underaged children. He put pornography on the same level as drugs and alcohol. "Its addictive characteristics have poisoned our youngsters. The combination of the three evils will destroy this country from the inside," he said.
But Ismail also said the government must consider the diversity of Indonesia's arts and culture so that the bill would not ignore the aspirations of people in any particular part of the country nor cause dissent or dissatisfaction among any group of the population.
The issue of pornography has been discussed since 1997 and was intensely discussed in 2002 at the time of the Megawati Soekarnoputri administration. However, the bill failed repeatedly to become law as parts of its substance were opposed by groups in Indonesian society, especially those who objected to their traditional rituals being defined as pornography.
In the middle of 2007, the House revised the bill to accomodate the aspirations of various kinds of people accross the country. The bill is now being tabled again in the hope it can be passed into law soon.
"A law against pornogrphy is urgently needed to protect our youngsters from pornography and its by-products," Inke Maris, general secretary of the Save Indonesian Children Alliance , said here Wednesday in a discussion on the bill at the Women's Empowerment Ministry.
Pornography was a product of the commercial sex industry which could encourage criminal practices such as women's exploitation and sexual abuse of underaged children, Maris said.
Therefore, the bill should be passed soon so it could further enhance the existing legislation that was protecting society from various social evils such as the laws on films, children's protection, people's trafficking and the press, she said.
However, Maris also said, the House's Pornography Bill Committee should give a clearer definition of the term 'pornography' so it would not cause confusion or misinterpretation in the future.
She also suggested that the bill's chapter 14 on arts and culture be deleted since traditional rituals must not be categorized as pornography. "Chapter 14 about arts and culture must be entirely removed because it will trigger debates and misinterpretation among people," she said.
Another activist and a wellknown author, Taufiq Ismail, also called for the passing of the bill. He suggested that the government form an independent commission to take legal action against pornography. "The government must create a KPK (Corruption Eradication Commission)-like body to fight pornography," he said.
He said pornography was dangerous because it was addictive and could induce people to commit crimes such as rape of underaged children. He put pornography on the same level as drugs and alcohol. "Its addictive characteristics have poisoned our youngsters. The combination of the three evils will destroy this country from the inside," he said.
But Ismail also said the government must consider the diversity of Indonesia's arts and culture so that the bill would not ignore the aspirations of people in any particular part of the country nor cause dissent or dissatisfaction among any group of the population.
The issue of pornography has been discussed since 1997 and was intensely discussed in 2002 at the time of the Megawati Soekarnoputri administration. However, the bill failed repeatedly to become law as parts of its substance were opposed by groups in Indonesian society, especially those who objected to their traditional rituals being defined as pornography.
In the middle of 2007, the House revised the bill to accomodate the aspirations of various kinds of people accross the country. The bill is now being tabled again in the hope it can be passed into law soon.
