Country's communication and information ministry claims they are already in talks.
Indonesia's communication and information ministry says it plans to collaborate with Google and YouTube to block pornographic Web sites.
The Jakarta Post reported that the ministry has been in discussions with YouTube regarding plans for the Indonesian government to provide keywords to the search giant to block sites promoting pornography.
Google has yet to join the discussions, but Azhar Hasyim, business director of the ministry's directorate general for applications and information, said that its participation is expected.
YouTube already doesn't allow porn and it's easy to enforce because all the content is hosted by by YouTube. Google, however, is a different proposition altogether.
More than two years after Indonesian pop star Nazril “Ariel” Irham’s arrest — and subsequently jailing — over a leaked sex tape, the National Police may drop their investigation into the video’s other alleged stars, celebrities Luna Maya and Cut Tari.
Under Indonesia’s controversial anti-pornography laws it is illegal to produce, distribute or possess pornographic materials. But investigators have struggled to find evidence implicating Tari and Luna in anything more than appearing in the video.
Both women were named as suspects — meaning that Tari and Luna were charged with distributing pornography. But neither of them has been detained since, according to police, the video was personal property that was spread on the Internet by a third party.
“[We will consider] whether these actresses should be charged under the Electronic Information and Transaction Law or Porn Law,” National Police chief of detective Comr. Gen. Sutarman said.
The Attorney General have handed the case back to the National Police, citing a lack of evidence. Investigators have now been tasked with compiling additional evidence against the two women. If they are unable to link the two to the video’s distribution, the case will likely be dropped.
“If the dossier is again returned [from the prosecutor] and we can not complete it, it means there is a lack of evidence,” Sutarman said. “In that case, it could be [terminated] for the sake of legal certainty.”
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In late March, Indonesian actor Donny Damara was in for a surprise when he received the best actor award at the Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong for his portrayal of a transvestite sex worker in “Lovely Man,” directed by Teddy Soeriaatmadja.
He won the trophy despite fierce competition from other renowned Asian actors, including Andy Lau.
When Donny and Teddy visited the Jakarta Globe on Sunday evening, the actor admitted that although he did not expect to win, he was hoping for it.
“It’s only natural, isn’t it, that in a competition, you want to win,” he said. “And I didn’t want this only for myself; I was proud I could represent Indonesia on an international level.”
In “Lovely Man,” which open in Indonesia on Thursday, Donny portrays Syaiful, a transvestite who tries to bond again with a daughter he left behind when she was a child.
Donny said he didn’t do any special research before tackling the role.
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In the time and tide of history, some political actions take on prophetic or symbolic significance: Caesar crossing the Rubicon, the Boston Tea Party and the storming of the Bastille. Indonesia’s 2008 Anti-Pornography Law was such a political act, as was evidenced once again in last month’s proposal to ban miniskirts.
This pact and what it stands for is not primarily about the eradication of pornography, the protection of women and children or the development of a moral, just and harmonious society, but rather about the narrowing of Indonesia’s national understanding. It is about enforcing a limited and moralistic view on a multi-faith country with a Muslim majority, on a country once noted for its moderation in religious matters, its tolerance and its religious and ethnic harmony.
According to the law, “pornography is pictures, sketches, illustrations, photos, writing, voice, sound, moving pictures, animation, cartoons, conversations, movements of the body, or other forms through a variety of communication media and/or performance in public which contain obscenity or sexual exploitation which violates the moral norms in society.”
The wooliness of this definition is disturbing in that it has a nose of wax and can be twisted any way to suit various agendas and moral slants.
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Indonesia’s Communications and Information Minister has declared that anyone tweeting illegal content, such as blasphemy, pornography, and threats, could spend up to 12 years in prison.
Indonesia has a strained history with free speech issues and open media, so a law that would punish Twitter users harshly for their words isn’t entirely surprising. The case of Prita Mulyasari is one big example of how uncomfortable the country is with online communication. Mulyasari was jailed and fined for sending e-mails to 20 of her friends that complained about a hospital’s service.
So now, with Twitter, another online service that makes it easy to complain or send lewd messages, users best be careful. Minister Tifatul Sembiring said Monday that the government is studying Twitter and that it would pursue all users found violating its strict laws, according to the Jakarta Globe.
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