Jakarta - Indonesia's pending pornography bill is likely to turn a blind eye to tourists wearing bikinis at popular beach resorts such as Bali, media reports said Friday. The House of Representatives' special committee vetting the legislation, which aims to regulate pornographic material and loose public behaviour, raised the bikini issue at a meeting Thursday, the Jakarta Post newspaper said.
"Tourists are allowed to wear bikinis in resorts like Bali and Parang Tritis beach in Yogyakarta," said lawmaker Husein Abdul Azis of Democratic Party. "The porn bill will treat recreational and leisure areas differently."
Indonesian tour operators have expressed fears that the pending porn bill, a draft of which might be finalized by the end of this month, would force visiting foreigners to wear "appropriate" clothing in public places.
Critics warned that such a provision would not only drive away tourists but also hurt local cultural traditions.
But the head of the House committee deliberating the pornography bill, Balkan Kaplale, said some changes to the contentious article had been made.
