JAKARTA (AFP) — The Indonesian constitutional court Wednesday turned down a request to abolish the country's censorship body, sparking wild celebrations from hardline Muslims in the public gallery.
But filmmakers who were seeking the abolition of the censorship panel also claimed victory after the court ruled that a new assessment system is "needed urgently" to unlock the country's cinematic creativity.
Constitutional judge Jimly Asshidiqqie ruled that "the current film law is not in line with modern times and there is an urgent need to form a new film law and new film assessment system that is more democratic."
The court decided that the Film Censorship Board, which often cuts violence and sexuality from movies and public television shows, could not be abolished until the new assessment system is in place.
A group of around 40 hardline Muslims who packed the public gallery cried "Allahu Akbar" (God is great) and cheered the ruling as a victory for what they see as Islamic values.
Then they carried Anwar Fuady, the head of the television cinema association who stands firmly against abolishing the review panel, around the courthouse in triumph.
Fuady praised the ruling and said the censorship board was "needed as a filter otherwise the country will be a nation of free sex."
However one of the plaintiffs, filmmaker Rivai Riza, told AFP the ruling gave Indonesia's film industry hope.
"The decision was clear that our request was rejected but we are happy that there is at least a rational dissenting opinion. This means that the democratic process worked and there is hope," he said.
A dissenting opinion by Judge Laica Marzuki said that "censorship can be seen as violating the constitution... that guarantees the right to communicate and acquire information."
The judge added that "film censorship has suppressed" the creativity of the country's growing film industry.
"In essence we have won. We have shaken the status quo and now the matter of film censorship will be widely discussed," writer and film professor Seno Gumira Ajidarma told AFP.
The filmmakers argued that the board should be replaced with a simple film rating body which would help audiences choose not to watch material they considered offensive while protecting freedom of expression.
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