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)