Minister backs film censorship board

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik came to the defense of the film censorship board at a judicial review of the country's 16-year old film law at the Constitutional Court on Wednesday.

"In the interest of the general public, at present, the Film Censorship Agency (LSF) is still needed," Jero Wacik told the court.

"We need to protect the public at large from the adverse effects of films, billboards and the like."

He said the film law, however, was in process of undergoing a revision and that everyone was welcome to voice their suggestions for improvement.

The minister spoke after being called to the defense of the 1992 law, which dates back to the New Order regime.

The judicial review hearing was demanded by young filmmakers and actors.

The film makers and actors said the law was contrary to the 1945 Constitution's article 28 on human rights.

Film directors Muhammad Rivai "Riri" Riza and Tino Saroengallo, producer Nur Kurniati Aisyah Dewi, better known as Nia Dinata, singer/actress Annisa Nurul Kusuma Wardhani, also called Shanty, and film festival organizer Lalu Rois Amriradhiani attended the court hearing.

They argued articles 1, 33 and 34 of the 1992 Film Law had stifled their creativity as artists and had caused them distress.

Member of the House of Representative's Law Commission, Lukman Hakim Saefuddin said the exercise of human rights brought with it obligations.

"As practiced in Indonesia, human rights are not a totally absolute concept," Lukman said.

"Certain rights of some people will need to be checked in order to guarantee the rights of others, and this is where the film law and the censorship board comes in," he said.

"We seek to protect the general public from any negative excess stemming from unmonitored creativity and expression.

"This measure also ensures that our film industry is heading towards the right direction."

Lukman said the censorship board's open membership allowed public participation toward the development of the local film industry.

Titie Said, chairwoman of the LSF, was among the speakers in favor of the film law and the censorship body.

"Our task is to ensure that individual creativity and expression remains within the corridor of Indonesian values," Titie told the court.

"Without a film censorship body, our identity as a nation would soon perish."

All nine justices were present at the hearing, which was adjourned until further notice. (amr)