Bandung – Prosecutors charged six people on Thursday under the country's Anti-Pornography Law for allegedly putting on a nude dance show at a bar in the early hours of New Year's Day.

The four female dancers, the show promoter and bar manager all face up to five years in jail if convicted, prosecutor Dodi Junaidi said. "They're charged under the Anti-Pornography Law on suspicion of displaying a nude dance," he added, without giving details.

The suspects appeared at a closed-door trial held at the Bandung district court on Thursday.

The controversial law, which came into effect in October 2008, carries a maximum jail sentence of 15 years. The law criminalizes all works and "bodily movements" deemed obscene and capable of violating public morality.

The law has prompted many protests across the nation, with critics saying it could threaten traditional cultures from temple statues on Hindu Bali island to penis sheaths on tribesmen in Papua.

A number of rights groups have criticized the plans to charge the suspects under the controversial law, saying it would set a dangerous legal precedent.

"We regret the implementation of the pornography law, which criminalizes women," said Elin Rozana, the head of Institut Perempuan, a Bandung-based women's rights group.

"We see this as a bad precedent for the implementation of the law in Indonesia."