Thousands of people from various cultural groups rallied yesterday against the implementation of Indonesia's much-debated obscenity law.
Marching peacefully under the theme of Alliance of Unity in Diversity, the protesters included the wife of Yogyakarta's sultan and the wife of former president Abdurrahman Wahid.
"We are against pornography in the mass media that ruins our children, but we are also against the porn bill draft," Sinta Nuriyah Wahid told the rally.
The legislation, initially proposed in 1999, is strongly supported by orthodox Muslim groups. But its vague definitions could allow multiple interpretations and cause confusion and conflict, critics say.
The draft bill's language has been introduced in selected provinces before being put to a vote. Some provinces, such as Bali and Papua flatly reject the draft, saying it doesn't accommodate local cultures and tries to push a certain religious belief.
Particularly controversial are regulations on public dress and restrictions on nudity in the media and art.
If the bill became law, women who bare their shoulders or legs, or artists who include nudity in their work, could be prosecuted for indecency and could jailed or fined up to 2 billion rupiah (more than US$200,000).
Indonesian president Yudhoyono urged Indonesians and their parliament to come to a peaceful solution on the matter, saying that a country with Indonesia's cultural background "can come to a logical" agreement on the matter.
Indonesia's population of 220 million is 90 per cent Muslim, making it the world's most largest Muslim country.
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