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Indonesia Must Resist Internet ‘Frenzy’: President
June 18, 2010

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono breaking into song during a public relations exercise on Friday. Yudhoyono later told journalists that Indonesia needed to protect itself against the Internet and avoid being "crushed by the information technology frenzy." President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono breaking into song during a public relations exercise on Friday. Yudhoyono later told journalists that Indonesia needed to protect itself against the Internet and avoid being "crushed by the information technology frenzy."
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President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Friday his country must not stand “naked” before modern information technology, signaling his support for an Internet filter to block porn.

The world’s most populous Muslim-majority country has been scandalized by the recent online release of homemade X-rated videos apparently showing popular local celebrities engaging in hardcore sex.

The celebrities — rock singer Nazril Ariel and television personalities Luna Maya and Cut Tari — deny uploading the clips but could still face up to 12 years in jail for breaches of the country’s 2008 Anti-Pornography Law.

Until now Yudhoyono had steered clear of the scandal, but when reporters asked him to comment the normally taciturn ex-general unleashed a torrent of criticism at the Internet and its supposed threat to Indonesian values.

“We have increasingly realized that our nation should not stay naked and be crushed by the information technology frenzy, because there will be many victims,” he said.

The scandal highlighted the need for further regulation of the Web, he said.

“Other countries have already have regulations on this ... The incident has made us think about the best thing that should be done. Negative impacts on our society should be avoided,” he said.

Communications and Information Technology Minister Tifatul Sembiring, of the conservative Prosperous Justice Party, has used the “Peterporn” scandal — named after Ariel’s band Peterpan — to revive plans to filter the Internet for content deemed “negative” and immoral.

Sembiring received the backing of influential lawmakers this week and has promised to issue a ministerial decree by the end of the year to “save the young” from Internet porn.

Indonesia is the world’s fourth most-populous country and has about 40 million Internet users, according to Internet World Stats.