Music Draft Bill a Flashback to Indonesia's New Order Era

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Panturas Band member Surya Fikri Asshidiq said the draft bill on music, otherwise known as RUU Permusikan, would make musicians shared the same fate as those in the past under Indonesia’s Old and New Order eras. 

“Musicians at the time were jailed for merely playing music with western influence,” said Surya in Jakarta today. 

Surya feared RUU Permusikan would deprive musicians of their freedom to create music. The draft bill, which was proposed by members of the Commission X in the House of Representatives (DPR), was met with strong reactions by a number of musicians who paid a visit to the DPR headquarters on Monday, January 28. 

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Among the musicians who were against the draft bill were Glenn Fredly, Tompi, Cholil Mahmud, Andien, Grace Simon, Rian D'Masiv, Vira Talisa and Yuni Shara. 

The musicians highlighted some articles in the draft bill they deemed as problematic, among them Article 5, which barred musicians from importing negative western culture, demeaning influences, blasphemous tendencies, and provocative and pornographic contents. 

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According to Surya Fikri Asshidiq, the draft bill will potentially create more problems rather than solutions. He also feared that Article 5 could potentially be abused by other groups that did not share the same views as certain musicians. 

BUDIARTI UTAMI PUTRI