No more naked breasts and penises!

A new Indonesian anti-pornographic law prohibits even downloading pornography off the internet.

The new rules cover penises. Even on statues!

President Susilo Bombang Yudhoyono received a lot of public scorn when he announced the new law, which he personally signed and backed. Because pornography supposedly corrupts and destroys national morality, the leaders have decided to prohibit it unanimously. The Muslim communities in Jakarta were firmly on the side of the law, but most Indonesian inhabitants started to protest. The law condemns any indecent actions or indications because it destroys public morality. They have already decided on hefty fines for offenders. The news caused a number of protests throughout the country because the law not only interferes with individual rights but also with art and traditional culture. Many statues in the temple on Bali would therefore have to be covered up. The culture of indigenous Indonesian tribes would also have to change, as the women in those tribes show their breasts in all their glory, while the men rarely cover their penises with a cloth that’s wrapped around the waste or with a hollow wooden cover.

Terribly high fines for downloading pornography off the internet

Many Indonesian provinces still don’t approve of the law in any way. The only exceptions are the Muslim communities. They say the new rule disrupts national unity because the naked body is a part of the entire Indonesian culture and art. The people are very disappointed at the president’s decision. Some even said they wouldn’t vote for him during next year’s elections because of this. Most protesters say that the government should concentrate on laws protecting children from pornography and laws forbidding vulgar expressions in the media, pornography and movies and not on such absurdities. The new law doesn’t only shake the presidential campaign for next year, but it also interferes with an individual’s intimacy or to put it better, with the right of free choice. The producers and distributers of pornography can, namely, get a prison sentence of 6 months to 12 years, while people possessing or reading pornographic material on the internet can get up to 4 years in prison in Indonesia. Even though 90 percent of the Indonesian population is Muslim, there is dissatisfaction throughout the country.