Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – North Sulawesi has formally expressed its opposition to the pornography bill and at least three other provinces are expected to follow suit, lawmakers said over the weekend.
The deputy speaker of the North Sulawesi Council, Djenri A. Keintjem, said House speaker Agung Laksono had been officially informed about the stance of the provincial legislature.
The bill has met with strong opposition from various sectors of the North Sulawesi community for its vague definition of what constitutes pornography and its content, which is seen as incompatible with local culture.
"The law is not needed because the contentious issues have been covered by existing laws, such as the Broadcasting Law, the Press Law, the Child Protection Law and the Criminal Code," Djenri was quoted by Antara as saying.
In Jakarta, legislator Alfridel Jinu of the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), who is also a member of the team deliberating the bill, said that Bali, Papua and East Nusa Tenggara provinces were expected to formally oppose the bill. "They have made it clear they will reject the bill as well," he said.
The Bali provincial government has openly rejected the bill on the grounds that it is incompatible with the local culture and Hinduism, the religion of most Balinese, and that it may threaten the province's tourist industry, which is its economic lifeline.
East Nusa Tenggara and Papua have also aired objections for similar reasons. PDI-P, which enjoys strong support in the four provinces, has hinted it may reject the bill. The political faction in the House that has openly supported the bill is the Islam-based Prosperous Justice Party, while other parties have not made up their minds.
The bill is currently being introduced in the provinces and will be finalized based on input from the regions and from various experts.
Last week, House Speaker Agung Laksono promised that the House would "be prudent and careful" in deliberating the bill to accommodate the interests of as many sectors as possible. "We will work on the draft before submitting it to the government for further deliberation," he said.
In Jakarta on Sunday, about 1,000 people rallied to support the bill that critics say is a threat to the secular and moderate traditions of the world's most populous Muslim nation.
The protesters, including many women and young children, chanted "We refuse pornography!" as they gathered under gloomy skies in Jakarta to press the House to pass the bill, which is supported by conservative Islamic politicians and preachers.
"Those who only see this issue from a human rights, liberal and secular point of view are trying to disrupt efforts to curb pornography," Ma'ruf Amin, a member of the Indonesian Ulema Council, was quoted by AP as saying.
The bill bans pornography and calls for prison terms and fines for kissing in public, exposure of a woman's "sensual" body parts and the display of "erotic" artworks.
Some women's and human rights groups say the bill would be a serious blow for rights and artistic freedoms, and is an attempt to impose elements of Islamic sharia law in the country.
Amin, however, said activists "only want to limit those (artists) who tend toward obscene acts, which carry enormous social costs." The vague terminology used in the bill has led to fears that traditional dancing, skimpy clothing and even bathing in rivers could be declared illegal.
The country already has laws banning pornography, and critics say police should simply enforce them better.