Photo-essay: Yogya’s community protests against the Pornography Bill

FG Pandhuagie

On 22 October 2008 Yogyakarta for Diversity (YuK! or Yogyakarta untuk Keberagaman) demonstrated in front of the State Palace against the Pornography Bill. The State Palace (also known as ‘Gedong Agung’ or the ‘Great Building’) has had an important part in Indonesian history. It was the first presidential residence during the Indonesian independence struggle in the 1940s, until the president moved to Jakarta after the Dutch agreed to withdraw from Indonesia. This history makes it an important symbolic place for the demonstration.

This demonstration was one of a series which have taken place both in Yogyakarta, nearby Solo (see edition93: 'New artistic order' ) and across Indonesia. The bill was passed on 30 October (see in current edition: 'Hot debates' ) this year and was ratified on 26 November as Law No. 44 of 2008.

YuK! is a network of about 150 community groups from Yogyakarta. The network is a broad coalition of women, transgender and student activists, and groups of youth and artists, as well as religious (Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu and mystical) groups. The Yogyakarta branches of the National Institute for Legal Aid (LBH) and environmental group, WALHI are also members.

For YuK! the Pornography Bill is not an appropriate response to the problem of pornography. The participants were concerned that the definitions of pornography it contained could cause problems in people’s daily life. Bathing in the river, breastfeeding a child in the yard of one’s house, wearing a kebaya (a women’s traditional lace blouse with a low neckline) and using the internet: all these things could be illegal under the bill. In particular, the group feels that women and children are the most likely to be affected by the bill, and that it could harm regional, traditional artistic performances. YuK! therefore declared that the bill has the potential to disrupt the unity of Indonesia.

The action on 22 October bore witness to the diversity and creativity of Yogyakarta’s community.

Yogyakartan Native Americans

Spectators were drawn to a hybrid drama form which combined the Javanese jathilan (horse dance) art form with Native American headdresses. The banner in the background reads ‘United, together, the people of Yogyakarta reject the Pornography Bill’.

Marching on stilts

Demonstrators marched in the streets. The bare-chested man on stilts is dressed in a style similar to the Javanese wayang orang (dance drama). He proclaims ‘The Pornography Bill oppresses Art’.