Talking Indonesia

The prohibition of pornography has been a hotly debated and controversial area of law in Indonesia, attracting the attention both of Islamic conservatives and activists promoting freedom of expression. Several public figures have been investigated and prosecuted under questionable circumstances, raising concerns that the law is being applied arbitrarily. Most recently, The police investigation of Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab and his female follower Firza Hussein has put prohibitions of pornography back in the headlines, after police sought to question them over leaked screenshots purporting to show salacious Whatsapp chats between the two. The case has gained attention both because FPI have typically been one of the main groups pushing for pornography prosecutions, and because the investigation has been widely perceived as politically-motivated following Rizieq's role in the anti-Ahok protest movement. How does Indonesia in fact regulate pornography, in what manner and how often have i