Tuesday, September 28, 2010

I may be stupid but…

The recent furor over the Jakarta Q! Film Festival have caused the Indonesian Ministry of Communication and information (Menkominfo) to release a statement regarding the legality of the event. While the issue over the legality or the appropriateness of the event is undoubtedly heatedly debated by the involved parties my concern lies in the actual press release that was published on the 28th of September 2010.

I noticed that the press release itself has been altered since its initial release by removing section 4b which emphasized the minister's personal opinion regarding the event. While the removal of the initial section 4b itself may raise a few eyebrows I believe the bigger concern lies in its inclusion.

The second problem I have with the press release is the actual necessity of the press release proper. In section 2c of the press release it is clearly stated that it is not within the capacity of Menkominfo to allow or deny the such events and clearly states that it is within the realm of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

So the question is why would Menkominfo meddle in affairs that is not their own?

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