Scandalous merchandise seized

JAKARTA (JP): City police have seized 3,465 calendars and 1,000 postcards depicting scantily dressed women, in a series of raids launched late last week.

Capt. Ronny F. Sompie, head of the Gambling and Social Affairs Unit of the City Police Crime Investigation Directorate, told reporters yesterday that the evidence had been confiscated and eight sellers and two distributors are being questioned.

The series of raids were carried out in several areas throughout the city, such as from a sidewalk trader in the Blok M shopping area and at the traffic lights on Jl. Pattimura in South Jakarta and around the Pasar Pagi market in West Jakarta, he said.

Based on preliminary questioning, the calendars and postcards were printed by three different companies, identified only as PT K and PT GK in Surabaya, East Java, and PT AO in Jakarta.

The 3,465 confiscated calendars consisted of 3,350 wall calendars and 115 desk calendars.

The calendars were being peddled at traffic lights for Rp 15,000 (US$6.90) each and were flaunted for all to see.

Ronny said the posters featured half-naked females.

"The pictures in the calendars could encourage people, particularly teenagers, to become sexually active," Ronny said.

The ten suspects being held for questioning, if found guilty of inciting public unrest, may face a maximum jail term of two years and eight months or a fine of Rp 45,000 (US$20.60). Due to the light term, none of them are being detained but their cases will be tried soon, Ronny said.

According to the police, the pictures, some of which are of local artists, are too suggestive to be displayed as the models are scantily dressed in underwear and swimsuits and are in provocative poses.

Some of the local artists featured in the calendars are Ayu Yohana, Tofana Dewi, Windi Cindyana, Anna Istiana, Linda and Malfin.

According to Ronny, the distributors of the calendars and the posters ordered the merchandise from the printing companies based on market demand.

"Each printing company has a thick catalog showing a wide range of poses for the distributors to choose for their calendars and posters," he said. (bsr)