UK Muslim politicians due here

UK Muslim politicians due here

JAKARTA: A delegation of five senior British Muslim
politicians will visit Indonesia from March 20 through March 23.

The delegation, to be led by House of Lords member Lord Patel
of Blackburn, will meet with a number of government officials and
leaders of Muslim groups.

Other delegation members include Labor Party member of
parliament Khalid Mahmood, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
official Asif Ahmad, former prime ministerial advisor Farzana
Hakim, and advisor to the Conservative leader Mohammad Riaz.

The delegation will also visit Yogyakarta and take part in a
seminar on the relations between the government and the
provinces, to be held at Gadjah Mada University.

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Scene-pornography
What is pornography?
JP/8/SCENE

What is pornography?

JAKARTA: The absence of a clear-cut legal definition of
pornography has made it difficult for police authorities to fight
pornography, a high ranking police officer says.

Deputy chief of the Indonesian Police public relations
division Brig. Gen. Edward Aritonang said during a discussion on
pornography organized by the Central Coordination Body of Public
Relations Agencies (Bako Humas) and the Ministry of Religious
Affairs that the definition of pornography in existing laws was
too general and open to contradicting interpretations.

"Because of the lack of a clear-cut definition, each
journalist has to make a subjective interpretation as to what is
pornographic and what isn't," Aritonang said.

The National Council of Ulemas (MUI) has been urging the
authorities to deal firmly with publications and television
stations publishing and broadcasting pornographic pictures or
programs.

Aritonang pointed out that a number of suspects had in the end
been acquitted as they could not be proven guilty of the charges
due to the unclear legal definition.

"Besides, the defense lawyers and testimonies by experts had
further weakened the charges because they claimed the matters in
question were artistic creations rather than pornography," he
said. -- Antara

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ANPAa..r..
Scene-Drug-Test
PDI-P members must take drug test
JP/8/SCENE

PDI-P members must take drug test

JAKARTA: Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri instructed party
members on Tuesday to undergo a drug test as part of the party's
campaign to combat narcotics.

"As part of our effort to combat drugs we should start with
ourselves," Megawati was quoted by PDI Perjuangan deputy
secretary-general Pramono Anung as saying during the party's
weekly meeting.

Megawati chaired the meeting.

Pramono said party members who tested positive for drug abuse
would be expelled immediately, regardless of their position
within the party.

He also said that the party issued on Tuesday an announcement
for party members to take a drug test as soon as possible.

Earlier, Megawati, who is also the country's President,
instructed all employees of government departments and offices to
take drug tests as part of an attempt to eliminate the currently
widespread drug abuse. --JP