Twenty-nine Magazines Identified
Friday, 28 April, 2006 | 16:11 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The Department of Informatics and Communication asked the Press Council to name 29 magazines and tabloids and to state whether they are included as sexual business products. Among the publications are Eksotika and Lelaki tabloids, and Popular magazine.

In addition, several publications have been raided by the police due to Criminal Code Article 282 on Pornography. “The raided publications are categorized as porn,” said the Press Council Deputy Chief, R.H. Siregar in Jakarta, yesterday. The Press Council asked the Informatics and Communication Department and the police to verify the publications.

Regarding the Indonesian edition of Playboy magazine, Siregar said the magazine is included. However, it is not in line with the journalistic code of ethics. “That is what is violated in the context of children’s and teenagers’ protection,” he said. The distribution of anything that borders on porn needs to be limited.

Siregar said the Press Council has not officially stated that Playboy violates the journalistic code of ethics because he was in a dilemma. Many publications that are indecent have preceded this magazine. “Playboy is meaningless compared to the media preceding it,” he said.

On another issue, Norwegian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Kjetil Skogrand criticized Indonesian policies forbidding foreign journalists from entering Papua. “This obstructs the freedom of press,” said Skogrand after meeting Vice President Jusuf Kalla. The goal of freedom of the press is that the international world is able to obtain adequate information.

Regarding the demand for Papua's independence, Skogrand said Norway fully supports Indonesia's sovereignty over Papua. “We do not support separation movements,” he said.

Rini Kustiani and Oktamandjaya