Government takes aim at pornography, indecency
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)