Indonesia struggles with pornography bill
The Indonesian government is trying to bring in a new anti-pornography bill and it has not been an easy road so far. For starters what exactly is pornography, not just to westerners, but to Indonesians. I just read a book about Captain Cook, who mentioned that in parts of the Pacific doin’ it in public and even in rituals, was all proper. Indonesia has 180 ethnic groups, who dress, interact and behave differently.
A Jakarta Post article talks about some of the concerns of people. Bali is interesting, because being Hindu, eroticism is part of the arts, which in turn relate to religion. What do you think a Shiva lingum represents, or the Kama Sutra carvings in India.
Another problem the government will face is that so many Indonesians like pornography. They tell me they get together to watch it and think its funny. The other night at an internet cafe, the 2 staff, 1 male and 1 female were having a good old time hooting and howling at what was on their screen. I didn’t have to ask to know what it was.
Anyway its a can of worms and if the fundamental Muslims want to open it, be my guest.
By Nick | Permalink
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Comments
No you can still buy those wooden bottle openers. You can also buy the penis shaped smoking equipment, which should be standard issue for a good chunk of the Bali expats, if you catch my drift.
I’m also worried — and pissed off — by this proposal for that retarded law.
I imagine that, IF (oh, god forbid) that they managed to pass the bill…. people in Bali will resist to that law. Being rebellious, socially.
That means: we’ll see more and more padmasana (shrine complex) have linggayoni — that Shiva lingum — being erected in Bali. If those people in Senayan (jakarta @rs3h0le5) try to arrest the people who build those shrine (under the pornography law), it will only show how repressive those greeny little people are.
You know what i mean by “greeny”…
Bikini clad females would be outlawed according to today’s “The West Australian” newspaper along with exposure of the females navel, when and if these new laws get passed. How will this sit with the traditional Balinese and their beliefs???
Kiss the sun seeking tourist good bye if it does.
If young people, in mixed company, can openly laugh at it, then whatever “it” is, is not doing them any harm. Once the narrow minded ones step in and start to make the rules, that’s when the trouble starts and young peoples’ minds start to get screwed up.
The link to the Jakarta Post article is broken. Can you let us know what it is? Also the West Australian article mentioned by Bob?
Hi,
I hope you wouldn’t mind to pass this comment. I just want to raise public awareness about the perspective of (maybe most of) Balinese people toward this proposal for the retarded anti-pornography law.
Here’s a copy of the article on Jakarta Post: http://jiwamerdeka.blogspot.com/2006/02/balinese-makes-stand-against.html
JiwaMerdeka means Free Spirit. We want to keep Bali free, full of free spirited people, open, and welcoming. The trend in Indonesia makes me sad. If this trend gets worse, I’d prefer that Bali separate itself from Indonesia. But, we’ve already fallen in love with Indonesia since the beginning of this nation… we’re proud of its diversity, of its vast amount resources, of it local geniuses…, it would be hard to say goodbye. But things are changing, for the worse nowadays…. some people are trying to make the whole country “green” and “sandy”.
Balinese people in US West Coast are also organizing resistance to this law.
Saludos,
Raka
Shit does that mean i won’t be able to get my penis bottle openers any more? And what about my wee ashtrays with the copulating couples??????
TEEHEE
Laurs