Keyko Ranti Ramadhani – Women's rights activists have criticized the action of police officers in Tangerang who scolded two girls for wearing shorts prior to a football match.

Tangerang Police spokesman Comr. Haru Manurun admitted on Thursday that police officers seen reprimanding two girls in a photo taken on Tuesday at a football match were telling the girls not to wear shorts to "avoid pornography."

"We asked the policewomen to suggest and encourage [the girls] not to wear shorts because we wanted to avoid unwanted things," Haru said.

He said women were strongly encouraged not to wear similar clothes to the next match.

When asked about the apparent age of the girls, Haru said it was of no consequence. "Age doesn't matter but appropriate clothes do matter," he said.

Masruchah, the deputy chairwoman of the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan), said "law enforcers should not say such words."

She added that police should focus on protecting women instead of "blaming the victim". "If they ban women from wearing shorts, soon they'll ban women from watching football and eventually from leaving the house," she said.