JAKARTA, INDONESIA — The governor of Bali and the Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives made history November 1st when they signed a written statement declaring the region unable to enforce the country’s new anti-pornography law.The declaration is the first official protest of the controversial law in the primarily Islamic island nation, and the open defiance of the government made leaders nervous.
“With the passing of the porn bill on Thursday, we hereby declare that we cannot carry it out because it is not in line with Balinese philosophical and sociological values,” Gov. Made Mangku Pastika told government representatives gathered to witness the signing. “We further implore every element of the Balinese public to keep calm, stay alert, not be easily provoked and maintain the appropriate atmosphere to maintain the integrity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.”
House Speaker Ida Bagus Putu Wesnawa added, “An act of defiance is an act of refusal. We’re not refusing the law — we just simply can’t enforce it. The fact is, many of our artists, our religious beliefs and our people are in danger of being persecuted by this law. So we simply cannot enforce it.”
The anti-porn bill passed the House with overwhelming support from 10 of the 12 political parties in the legislative body. Representatives of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) walked out of Thursday’s vote in protest.
The Indonesian president must yet sign the bill in order to enact it. However, under the Indonesian constitution, if a bill is not signed within 30 days, it automatically becomes legally binding.
Pastika called the declaration “a statement from the people of Bali” and indicated that whether or not the president signs the law, he and other regional leaders are considering constitutional and court challenges.
His predecessor, former Gov. Made Dewa Beratha, declared in 2006, “Bali might as well declare independence” if the anti-porn bill passed.
Introduced in 1999 and mired in controversy and objection ever since, the anti-porn law forbids “pornographic acts” and the dissemination of sexual images. Violators face as many as 12 years in prison. Fundamental Islamists argued the law is necessary to protect children and reclaim society’s morals. Objectors claim the law could precipitate persecution of Indonesia’s Christian and Hindu minorities and threaten the country’s longstanding tradition of tolerance and diversity.
