No `True Lies' discs or videos in town: Agency

JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Film Control Agency (Bapfida), which has conducted surveys on a number of video and laser disc rental centers, found no True Lies, an action-comedy movie featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger, for rent.

Semyon Sinulingga, the chairman of Bapfida, said on Friday that the surveys were conducted on 15 rental shops in South and Central Jakarta in a bid to check rumors about the circulations of True Lies laser discs.

"We haven't found a single disc of the film so far," Sinulingga said, adding that the survey responded to the government's order to seize all laser discs of the film.

The government banned the circulation of the movie as of Oct. 1 on the grounds that the movie "initiated pros and cons which lead to public unrest."

The ban ended a two-week controversy over the screening of the film in the country's movie theaters.

Sinulingga was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying that his agency conducted a survey of video rental shops in a bid to also monitor the latest development on the video rental business.

"The survey is important to check the number of video rental shops as well as the number of video tapes and laser discs in circulation throughout the city," he said, adding that based on his agency's data, Jakarta now has 127 video rental shops.

Under an information ministry regulation, laser discs are not allowed to enter Indonesia. However, the ban is rarely implemented and laser discs can easily be bought or hired.

Sinulingga said that the survey, which has so far been conducted only in South and Central Jakarta, will be extended to the other three mayoralties soon.

"This survey will also enable us to take action readily, if the government orders the agency to take action against the video rental shops," he said.

An earlier report said that the government will seize all laser discs on the grounds that they are considered illegal due to the absence of a law regulating them. (09/hhr)