Crackdown planned on illegal laser discs distribution
Crackdown planned on illegal laser discs distribution
JAKARTA (JP): Head of the City Film Control Agency Semyon Sinulingga said yesterday that all illegal laser discs and video films currently in circulation in the city will be destroyed as of next month.
"Any laser disc and video film which do not bear stickers from the Film Censorship Institute, formerly called the Film Censorship Board, will be confiscated and later destroyed," Semyon was quoted by Antara yesterday.
He said his agency will launch an operation against the distribution of the illegal articles as of next month.
Based on Information Minister's Decree No. 7/1994, issued on Oct. 28 last year, all discs and video films to be distributed have to pass through the Film Censorship Institute.
There are three categories in the screening of films for circulation in the country: "fully accepted", which means the recording is passed without any censoring; "accepted but subject to censorship" and "rejected".
Recordings that have been accepted will bear stickers from the institute, while those that have not been checked by the censorship board are considered illegal.
Laser discs were previously banned under Ministry of Information Regulation No. 20/1983, which was issued following reports of widespread distribution of smuggled laser discs. This regulation was not fully enforced, thereby enabling the open sale and distribution of these articles.
Semyon reminded retailers and rental companies of the recordings that April will be the deadline for the checking of laser disc and video films at the Film Censorship Institute.
He explained that the Ministry of Information has assigned the Video Film Importer Association (Asirevi) to be in charge of collecting data on the number of laser discs and video films in public circulation before reporting them to the censorship institute.
Asirevi has been appointed the sole importer of laser discs and video films.
Data at the city's chapter of the Ministry of Information shows that 366 film titles of laser discs and video cassettes have been submitted to the institute for censorship.
According to the data, the number of laser discs and video cassettes registered at rental centers in Central Jakarta totals 2,353 laser discs and 2,353 video cassettes, in South Jakarta 5,501 discs and 6,957 cassettes, and in West Jakarta 7,652 discs and 8,389 cassettes.
In North Jakarta there are 7,100 laser discs and 7,595 video cassettes and in East Jakarta 1,416 discs and 1,562 cassettes.
Semyon said that in line with the new decree, the censorship on discs and video cassettes applied will be stricter than on movie in picture theaters.
"The stricter censorship is applied because laser discs and video films have far broader audiences than cinemas," he said.
The stricter censorship is expected to protect the public from any negative impacts which may arise from films, or discs, which are not in line with the guidelines and objectives of the country's film industry.
The censorship is also expected to maintain the cultural values of the nation, as well as to monitor the community's appreciation of films being circulated. (hhr)