Chinese songs on TV allowed

Chinese songs on TV allowed

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's Film Censor Institute, responding to public queries about the legality of broadcasting Chinese songs and characters on television, said yesterday no laws have been violated.

Spokesman Soekanto said that songs and characters occurring at the beginning and end of the increasingly popular Chinese martial art films are allowed.

Some of the most popular shows, broadcast by private television stations, include Judge Bao, White Snake Legend, the Story of Prince Deer, and Return of the Condor Heroes.

Critics have expressed concern that the films are shown too frequently, especially during prime time. They fear a damaging impact on local culture. They also question whether regulations against the use of Chinese characters still apply.

The Ministry of Information, in decree number 111/1990, says that only the Indonesian and English languages can be used in television shows, except in special cases, such as foreign language teaching programs.

But in a bid to attract trade and tourism from mainland China, the government last year slightly eased a 28-year-old restriction on the use of Chinese characters in public.

Hotels and recreation centers can now publish brochures and programs in Chinese for the benefit of their Chinese patrons.

The ban came in the wake of the 1965 coup attempt by the now- outlawed Indonesian Communist Party (PKI). Accusing Beijing of a role in the event, Indonesia severed diplomatic ties with China two years later.

Ties were restored in 1990. (swe)