Indonesia has always standard, protes against playboy but at the same time allowing porno film to be viewed at the hotels.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Holy Uncle" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <tionghoa-net@yahoogroups.com>; <proletar@yahoogroups.com>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2006 3:52 PM Subject: [proletar] COMMENT: No Playboy please, this is Indonesia > > Columns > > COMMENT: No Playboy please, this is Indonesia > AMY CHEW > > Jan 29: > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > The launching of the American adult magazine Playboy in Indonesia has been > postponed in the face of protests from religious leaders in the world's > most > populous Muslim nation, writes AMY CHEW. > > PLAYBOY, the famous American adult magazine, is raising temperatures in > Indonesia and proving to be highly provocative even before its publication > in the world's most populous Muslim nation. > > Religious leaders are up in arms against the planned publication of the > famous little tuxedoed bunny, calling for the magazine to be banned as it > "threatens" the morals of the young. > > Said Hasyim Muzadi, chairman of Nadhlatul Ulama (NU), the country's > largest > Muslim organisation which claims 40 million followers: > > "I do not agree with the publication of Playboy because pornography in > Indonesia has resulted in corrupting the morals of the young generation. > > "The magazine will encourage free sex in the country and our young > generation will become hedonists. Allowing Playboy to be published is the > same as legalising free sex." > > PT Velvet Silver Media, the Indonesian franchisee of Playboy, has promised > the local version of the magazine will not contain nudity and will respect > Muslim values. The magazine will also be subscription- based. > > However, religious leaders are not convinced. > > "Maybe for now Playboy will not have naked pictures. But later, I am sure, > the magazine will carry such pictures as it cannot be separated from the > format of its parent company," said Muzadi. > > In the face of the protests, Playboy, scheduled for launching in March, > has > now postponed its publication to a date yet to be determined. > > The moderate and mild- mannered Muzadi's strong opposition toward Playboy > highlights the sensitivity and growing conservatism in a country known for > its tolerance. > > Locals in Jakarta will tell you Playboy was available in the black market > long before. > > "I could buy Playboy since Suharto days. All I need to do is ask for a > copy > from booksellers in the Senen district in Jakarta," said a mechanic. > > After former President Suharto was ousted in 1998, an explosion of > information followed, marked by the proliferation of hundreds of > publications. > > Internet news services and radio stations mushroomed and the number of > national private TV stations more than doubled from five to 11 in recent > years. And taking advantage of the newfound freedom, pornographic > magazines, > once sold under the counter, are now being peddled in broad daylight. > > Take Gus, a 42-year-old driver for a small merchandise company, for > example. > Whenever he is caught in a traffic jam at the toll road exit in Tomang, > West > Jakarta, newspaper boys will come up to his car to sell cheap, pirated > pornographic magazines for as little as 2,000 rupiah (RM0.80sen). > > "They sell those magazines openly. I buy them all the time. They have > naked > pictures of Caucasian women," he said. > > Indonesia also has its own brand of soft porn, magazines with titillating > titles like Lipstick, Hot and Wild Girls. > > In addition, some popular local magazines like FHM or Popular regularly > carry pictures of scantily-clad women. > > There is also no shortage of porn VCDs and DVDs. > > In the district of Glodok, north Jakarta, rows and rows of stalls on the > sidewalks sell pirated porn VCDs and DVDs together with regular films. > > Private TV stations are no less bold. Several of them air erotic movies or > raunchy shows disguised as lifestyle programmes. > > The furore over Playboy is unfolding at a time when Parliament is debating > a > draft anti-pornography Bill which stipulates jail terms for acts deemed to > be indecent or sexually arousing. > > Human rights groups, cultural activists and the Press Council have all > expressed concern over the anti-pornography Bill and see it as an attempt > to > limit the Press as well as an infringement of human rights and democracy. > > Acts which fall under the Bill's ambit include kissing in public and > exposing the belly button.Unfortunately, the row over Playboy coupled with > the proliferation of pornographic material has only given ammunition to > the > Bill's proponents. > > The Bill gives little consideration for the complex and plural make-up of > Indonesian society. > > In the province of Papua, women still wear grass skirts and a bra while > their men are attired only in a penis sheath, their belly buttons exposed > for all to see in a society where such sights are the norm. > > In some villages in Java, old women still dress in sarongs and a bra, not > to > mention the traditional costumes donned by Balinese and Javanese dancers, > all of which show the navel. > > "Under the Bill, anyone showing their belly button will be deemed to have > violated the law and liable to be jailed," said Leo Batubara of the > Indonesian Press Council. > > "That means, people performing Javanese and Balinese dances will be > violating the law. And what about the people from Papua who wear the penis > sheath? > > "That is their cultural attire. This Bill is against human rights, > democracy > and the culture of this country." > > Batubara also worries the Bill might be a case of history repeating > itself - > an attempt to restrict a critical Press as had happened in the late 1950s. > > "Before August 1958, the media did not require a licence to publish. But > in > 1957, an anti-pornography movement took shape, asking the Government to > issue licences on the media which eventually happened in 1958. > > "I fear the same might be happening again, that this anti-pornography Bill > is not actually targeting pornography but newspapers critical of the > Government." > > Licensing of the Press was abolished when former President Abdurrahman > Wahid, a Muslim ulama, came to power in 1999. > > On the day he took office, Abdurrahman, known for his liberal and moderate > views, announced the abolition of the Information Ministry, which > regulated > the Press, sending shock waves through the country as it adjusted to life > without Suharto's autocratic rule. > > The ministry has since been resurrected under President Susilo Bambang > Yudhoyono. > > If the anti-pornography Bill is to truly achieve its aim of upholding > morality, it has to strike a balance between ethics and freedom of > expression while safeguarding the social and cultural traditions of > Indonesian society. > > The traditions and culture of Indonesian society has existed before the > advent of the major religions - Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and > Hinduism - > in the vast archipelago. > > It is the same culture and tradition which has shaped Indonesian values > and > identity - a heritage of morality, refinement and pluralism - which must > never be sacrificed for any vested interest. > > http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Sunday/Columns/20060128171316/Article/index_html > > > > > Post message: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Unsubscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED] > List owner : [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/ > Yahoo! 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