Indonesia: Ban on Australian film Balibo

06 Aug 10 | Index Index, minipost, News and features

The Indonesian government has placed a ban on the screening of the Australian feature film Balibo due to its sensitive issues.

The film tells the story of 5 Australian based journalists who were killed in the town of Balibo in Timor Leste in 1975. The Film Censorship Board in Indonesia argues that it could ‘reopen old wounds’ about East Timor. A screening of Balibo was orginally scheduled at the 11th Jakarta International Film Festival (JIFFest) but was cancelled after the festival committee received notification of the ban on Tuesday.

Indonesia: Pop star charged for sex tape

25 Jun 10 | Index Index, minipost

Police have charged pop star Azril “Ariel” Irham with pornography offences for allegedly participating in home made sex tapes with two other Indonesian celebrities. The videos came to light after they were leaked on social networking sites Twitter and Facebook and have subsequently been widely circulated via mobile phones. Controversial Indonesian pornography laws prohibit public displays of flesh and behaviour that could incite lust and if convicted, Ariel faces a maximum sentence of 12 years imprisonment.

Indonesian blasphemy law overruled

20 Apr 10 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized

Human rights groups have criticised the Indonesian constitutional court’s decision to uphold a controversial 45 year-old blasphemy law yesterday. The Wahid Institute, the first group to lobby for a review of the law, and many other human rights campaigners for greater religious pluralism have stated that the decision is a “setback for Indonesian democracy”. The law also limits the number of recognised religions in Indonesia to only six: Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Protestantism and Confucianism. The blasphemy law will be applicable mainly to offences against Islam.