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