Government takes aim at pornography, indecency
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Irked by rampant cases of rape, sexual assault and abuse, the government will launch a campaign next month to combat pornography and indecency, with children and youth being the target.
The plan comes despite the fact that the definition of pornography remains debatable in the predominantly Muslim nation.
"What we will do is warn families of the dangers of pornography, and educate youth so as improve and strengthen their behavior," says State Minister of Youth and Sports Affairs Adhyaksa Dault.
The government will provide youth with books and training by experts to deter them from looking at pornographic material.
"Our goal is to target children and youth who are still in school, not adult celebrities or others," the minister said.
People need to be protected from the negative influences of outside cultures, he argued.
The "National Movement for Porn-Free Families" is slated to start by the end of June to fight the rising trend of sexual misconduct. Students in elementary and high schools are the targets.
It will involve Adhyaksa's office, the Office of the State Minister for Women's Empowerment and relevant government institutions. The campaign corresponds with the government's move to revise the Criminal Code (KUHP), which critics say represses artistic works.
State Minister for Women's Empowerment Meutia Hatta said pornography should be attacked from all sides, a move that should be supported by all government agencies, private institutions, psychologists and cultural observers.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Meutia said, backs the campaign.
"To implement it, we will join hands with the Office of the State Minister of Tourism and Culture, the Ministry of Communications and Information, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Ministry of National Education and the National Police," Adhyaksa said.
The police will spearhead the campaign, he added without elaborating.
Meutia said the campaign was in response to many reports of rape, sexual harassment and assault, including one in which a six-year-old child was recently burned alive after being gang raped in Bekasi, West Java.
Adhyaksa said he had received a report that at least 13 elementary school students masturbation together after watching a pornographic video compact disc (VCD).
Adhyaksa said the campaign would also involve families and educational institutions in a comprehensive action program.
Meutia said the campaign would make people aware that pornography could destroy the nation, and that children should understand that pornography was not created for them.
Every mother, she added, should warn her children against any type of pornography or lewdness, such as through short massaging services (SMS), the Internet and VCDs.
"Each time I have attended meetings or seminars for women's empowerment, I have always reminded the audiences about the matter," she said.
Meutia said the Ministry of Communications and Information would provide a hotline number for reports of sexual abuse.
To protect children from pornography and indecent acts, she said, the censorship institute should restrict suggestive material in public places.
"People who violate the restriction deserve punishment. Therefore, a 'pornography bill' should be passed this year," the minister said.
Meutia and Adhyaksa said all print and electronic media would be asked to support the campaign by banning all pictures, advertisements or programs that exploit sensuality and sexuality.
"The media already have their own code of ethics, which they need to apply," Adhyaksa said. (004)