Activists say SBY's navel ire a case of bellyaching
Activists say SBY's navel ire a case of bellyaching
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Observers on Saturday lashed out at President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono for his statements regarding certain TV programs, which
he said were inappropriate because they showed the bare navels of
women.
They said the President paid too much attention to minor
issues while his administration had a myriad of far more
important problems to address, ranging from poverty to widespread
corruption.
The critics claimed that the President was simplifying moral
decadence as manifested in Indonesia's rampant corruption and
violence.
"Does the President really have to deal with such a small
matter?" media observer Veven SP Wardhana told The Jakarta Post
on Saturday.
He said that if the President was truly concerned about
obscenity on TV screens, he should look at more significant
issues such as TV programs that exploited violence.
"A navel is not a big deal, and the President needs to remind
himself that some people will consider his words to be an order,
which could threaten freedom of expression and artistic
performance," Veven, a senior journalist, said.
Women's activist Nursyahbani Katjasungkana concurred with
Veven, saying that if the President had to make comment on TV
programs then there were far worse TV shows than those that
happened to display the navels of women.
"Crime stories, for instance, exploit brutality and sometimes
ignore the press code of ethics. The President should have
commented on those issues," Nursyahbani said.
Susilo, after hearing a sermon at Friday prayers, asked
Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Alwi Shihab to convey
his concerns about the attire of performers and artists in TV
programs.
The President, according to Alwi, said these actors and
performers should wear attire that covered their bodies.
Susilo did not elaborate on what actions the government would
take against TV channels that went against his call.
Nursyahbani, also a House of Representatives legislator and a
lawyer, suggested that the President impose policies to curb TV
programs considered as obscene.
"For instance, limit the amount of air time for adult movies
or, like in other countries, move such shows to pay-TV," she
said.
However, she added, clear guidelines were mandatory so as to
prevent restrictions from infringing upon freedom of expression.
"We should not let excessive morality threaten our freedom of
expression, that's why we have to set clear regulations," she
said.
When asked how she, being a woman and a mother, felt about
women displaying their navels, Nursyahbani said: "I really don't
mind as long as it is not vulgar. Besides, as a native of Madura,
my traditional attire exposes a woman's navel."