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)