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Pornography law will discriminate against women and children

Detik.com - February 16, 2006

Fitraya Ramadhanny, Jakarta – The Draft Law on Pornography has received support and opposition from the public. The Children’s Rights Monitoring Foundation (YPHA) includes those who reject it. They believe that the draft law will not address the real problem.

“This draft law will criminalise forms of women’s expression and put child victims of sexual exploitation in the position of criminals”, said YPHA executive director Antarini Arna in a press release received by Detik.com on Thursday February 16.

Arna said that her organisation opposes the draft law because it contravenes the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on Civil and Political Rights. “This law gives the impression that sexual crimes are driven by the behaviour of women and female children”, she added.

YPHA is asking the House of Representatives (DPR) and the government to cancel the ratification of the draft law. They are also calling on the DPR and the government to regulate the circulation of pornographic media so that children do not become the consumers. (fay)

[Translated by James Balowski.]

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