Porn books

Porn books

From Pelita

Thumbs up indeed to the Jakarta regional administration as in welcoming the Ramadhan fasting month it has taken a number of praiseworthy measures such as reducing the opening hours of night entertainment centers and also closing down for one full month Kramat Tunggak red-light area in North Jakarta.

In addition, it has also sealed a number of discotheques and massage parlors. Unfortunately, according to some findings, the sealing of these places is but "a joke": they are sealed in the morning and then in the evening the seal is removed. In other words, one agency of the Jakarta administration seals these places and another agency of the same Jakarta administration will remove the seal again. There is, therefore, a sort of dualism of authority.

Now another thing of no less importance. Along the sidewalk on Jalan Yos Sudarso, Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, or to be exact, in front of Exim Bank, sidewalk vendors carry out their activities even in part of the road. They sell a great variety of goods.

Several days ago some of these sidewalk vendors offered a heap of colorful porn books at prices ranging between Rp 5,000 and Rp 15,000 per copy (depending on the printing quality and the thickness of the book). They also offered porn rummy cards at Rp 10,000 per set.

What is causing greater concern is that the traders, speaking in a distinct dialect of one particular region in Sumatra, also offered these porn books, freely displayed along with crossword puzzle books, to schoolchildren.

It is certainly against our wish to see our children exposed to porn books, especially during the fasting month. Therefore, we hope that the North Jakarta mayoralty will take stern action against these porn book vendors, particularly during the fasting month.

SISKA AN

Jakarta