Bill against Pornography and Pornoaction
The Bill against Pornography and Porno-Action (Indonesian: Rancangan Undang-Undang Anti Pornografi dan Pornoaksi) (sometimes translated as Bill against Pornography and Pornographic Acts) was a bill proposed by the Indonesian legislative assembly, Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat on February 14, 2006.
A similar bill was discussed and unsuccessfully presented in the 1990s but was withdrawn in the face of opposition.[1]
The 2005-06 bill attracted extensive opposition and was dropped, only to be reintroduced in 2008 as the Bill on Pornography.[1] The bill states that anyone engaging in pornography and pornoaction is punishable by law, pornoaction being a self-invented word that means "actions deemed indecent." This includes, but is not limited to, public acts such as spouses kissing,[2] women showing their navels or shoulders, and people sunbathing in bikinis or swimwear.
This bill provoked a severe negative reaction from many people who believed that the government is trying to limit their freedom. Several public demonstrations ensued both by people who supported (the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and Muslim religious leaders) and those who rejected the bill as too broad-ranging and a restriction on personal freedom.
The bill was passed into an Act on 30 October 2008 as Law No. 44 of 2008 on Pornography.[1]
In 2010 the anti-pornography law was challenged but Indonesia's Constitutional Court upheld the ban and stated that the law's definition of pornography was clear and did not violate the constitution.[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 [A law on pornography still divides the community http://www.insideindonesia.org/edition-94/hot-debates], Inside Indonesia, Helen Pausacker
- ↑ Indonesia's Skin Wars - TIME
- ↑ BBC News - Indonesia upholds anti-pornography bill
