Pornography Law (Indonesia)

2008 law in Indonesia

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The Act Number 44 of 2008 on Pornography (Indonesian: Undang-Undang Nomor 44 Tahun 2008 Tentang Pornografi),[1] commonly known as Pornography Law (Undang-Undang Pornografi), is a law in Indonesia on pornography which was passed on 30 October 2008. It was proposed as the Bill against Pornography and Porno-Action (Indonesian: Rancangan Undang-Undang Anti Pornografi dan Pornoaksi), sometimes translated as Bill against Pornography and Pornographic Acts, by the Indonesian legislative assembly, Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat, on 14 February 2006. The bill was passed into an act on 30 October 2008.[1]

A similar bill was discussed and unsuccessfully presented in the 1990s but was withdrawn in the face of opposition.[1]

The 2005–06 bill attracted extensive opposition and was dropped, only to be reintroduced in 2008 as the Bill on Pornography.[1] The bill states that anyone engaging in pornography and pornoaction is punishable by law, pornoaction being an invented word that means "actions deemed indecent." This includes, but is not limited to, public acts such as spouses kissing,[2] women showing their navels or shoulders, and people sunbathing in bikinis or swimwear.

Indonesia’s strict anti-pornography laws impose up to four years in prison for possessing or downloading explicit materials. While prostitution is not explicitly illegal, it is often targeted under “crimes against decency/morality.” Despite regulations, the practice persists, with sex workers bribing law enforcers to avoid prosecution.[3]

This bill provoked a severe negative reaction from many people who believed that the government is trying to limit their freedom. Several public demonstrations ensued both by people who supported (the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and Muslim religious leaders) and those who rejected the bill as too broad-ranging and a restriction on personal freedom.

In 2010 the anti-pornography law was challenged but Indonesia's Constitutional Court upheld the ban and stated that the law's definition of pornography was clear and did not violate the constitution.[4]

## See also

[edit]

* Pornography laws by region
* Legality of child pornography
* Legal status of internet pornography
* Internet censorship in Indonesia

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d [A law on pornography still divides the community "Hot debates — Inside Indonesia — a quarterly magazine on Indonesia and its people, culture, politics, economy and environment". Archived from the original on 2011-02-17. Retrieved 2010-11-22.], Inside Indonesia, Helen Pausacker
2. ^ Tedjasukmana, Jason (April 3, 2006). "Indonesia's Skin Wars". Time.
3. ^ Romano, Elyse (2024-02-02). "From Watching Pornography To Drugs: How Not To Get Shot In Bali, Indonesia". DMARGE. Retrieved 2024-05-20.
4. ^ BBC News - Indonesia upholds anti-pornography bill

## External links

[edit]

* The bill on pornography and pornoaction in Indonesian (in Indonesian)
* Law No. 44 of 2008 on Pornography (official document of the DPR-RI) (in Indonesian)
* AsiaMedia article
* The Economist
* "Indonesia's New Anti-Porn Agenda". Time. 6 November 2008.
* The Guardian

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Pornography legality

Laws|

* Adult film industry regulations
* Legal objections to pornography in the United States

| Africa|

* Nigeria
* South Africa

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Americas|

* Brazil
* Chile
* Canada
* Colombia
* Jamaica
* Mexico

| US|

* Antipornography Civil Rights Ordinance
* Child Online Protection Act
* Child Protection and Obscenity Enforcement Act
* Custodian of Records
* Child Protection Restoration and Penalties Enhancement Act of 1990
* Communications Decency Act
* Pornography Victims Compensation Act

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Asia|

* China
* India
* Indonesia
* Hong Kong
* Kazakhstan
* Japan
* Malaysia
* Maldives
* Pakistan
* Philippines
* Singapore
* South Korea
* Taiwan
* Thailand
* Turkey
* United Arab Emirates

Europe|

* Bulgaria
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Hungary
* Iceland
* Ireland
* Italy
* Latvia
* Malta
* Netherlands
* Norway
* Poland
* Portugal
* Russia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Ukraine

| UK|

* Audiovisual Media Services Regulations 2014
* British Board of Film Classification
* Committee on Obscenity and Film Censorship
* Obscene Publications Act 1959
* Possession of Extreme Pornographic Images
* Video Recordings Act 2010

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Oceania|

* Australia
* New Zealand

Cases|

* American Booksellers v. Hudnut
* California v. Freeman
* Jacobellis v. Ohio
* Miller v. California
* R v Butler
* R v Glad Day Bookshops Inc
* R v Peacock
* Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union
* Renton v. Playtime Theatres, Inc.
* Stanley v. Georgia
* United States v. Extreme Associates
* United States v. Playboy Entertainment Group

Other|

* Meese Report
* President's Commission on Obscenity and Pornography

Child
pornography
laws

| By country|

* Australia
* Canada
* India
* Japan
* Netherlands
* Philippines
* Portugal
* United Kingdom
* United States
* Child Pornography Prevention Act of 1996
* New York v. Ferber
* Osborne v. Ohio
* PROTECT Act of 2003
* United States v. Williams

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Other|

* COPINE scale
* Debate regarding child pornography laws
* Dost test
* Legal status of drawn pornography depicting minors
* Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography
* United States v. X-Citement Video, Inc.

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Pornography in Asia

Sovereign states|

* Afghanistan
* Armenia
* Azerbaijan
* Bahrain
* Bangladesh
* Bhutan
* Brunei
* Cambodia
* China
* Cyprus
* East Timor (Timor-Leste)
* Egypt
* Georgia
* India
* Indonesia
* Iran
* Iraq
* Israel
* Japan
* Jordan
* Kazakhstan
* North Korea
* South Korea
* Kuwait
* Kyrgyzstan
* Laos
* Lebanon
* Malaysia
* Maldives
* Mongolia
* Myanmar
* Nepal
* Oman
* Pakistan
* Philippines
* Qatar
* Russia
* Saudi Arabia
* Singapore
* Sri Lanka
* Syria
* Tajikistan
* Thailand
* Turkey
* Turkmenistan
* United Arab Emirates
* Uzbekistan
* Vietnam
* Yemen

States with
limited recognition|

* Abkhazia
* Northern Cyprus
* Palestine
* South Ossetia
* Taiwan

* Category
* Asia portal

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