The deaf reject govt plan to dub TV programs

The deaf reject govt plan to dub TV programs

JAKARTA (JP): The government's plan to dub all foreign
television programs into the Indonesian language met strong
opposition from more deaf people yesterday.

The latest opposition came from the association of Santi Rama
School for the Disabled in South Jakarta. About 100 alumnae have
petitioned the government to cancel the plan.

Spokesman for the association, Ahmad Fachri S. said yesterday
that the plan to dub foreign programs will disadvantage the deaf.

"The plan to dub foreign programs into Indonesian will
disadvantage the deaf because they will loose the information and
entertainment they used to gain from subtitled programs," Ahmad
said.

The plan to dub all foreign programs into Indonesian is
included in the bill on broadcasting, which the government and
House of Representatives have been deliberating. The government
expects all television stations to start dubbing foreign programs
by August.

At present, all but English language programs aired on local
television stations are dubbed. The plan to dub English programs
has met strong opposition from all quarters. Critics argue that
Indonesian audiences need the programs to help improve their
English, which is a compulsory subject in schools.

Ahmad said he wondered why the government insists on dubbing
all foreign programs if subtitling or adding sign language to
them is cheaper.

However, Ahmad said sign language can lessen deaf people's
interest in learning oral language. As a result, they will not be
able to communicate with people who do not understand sign
language, he added.

He said that even in the United States, which has a
standardized sign language, all television stations use subtitles
in foreign programs instead of sign language.

"We regret the government's plan. The government should
consider the rights of the deaf to enjoy foreign language
programs like other citizens. They should consult us, the deaf,
on the plan," he said.

The association has sent a petition to the Ministry of
Information and the Ministry of Education and Culture.

"We told the ministries that the plan is a setback in the
effort to improve the deaf's welfare and it's also discriminative
in terms of information distribution," Ahmad said.

He said that the plan also goes against the 1945 Constitution
and Pancasila state ideology, which both guarantee social
justice.

"We want Minister of Information Harmoko and Minister of
Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro to reconsider the plan
which will disadvantage the deaf, who are a minority in
Indonesia," Ahmad said.

If the government's plan should win House support, Ahmad said,
the association hopes that foreign programs would be both
subtitled and dubbed.

The same request was made by the Organization For Care of the
Deaf during a hearing with the House of Representatives
Commission VIII for health and social welfare earlier this month.

The organization said that dubbing programs would deny deaf
individuals' right to enjoy entertainment because the deaf would
not be able to hear the dubbed programs, whereas normally they
would be able to read the subtitles.(31)