A group of teenagers from Pontianak, West Kalimantan, became the talk of their city and netizens throughout Indonesia over their choice t-shirts.
During a car free day event in Pontianak on Sunday, in which a main road was closed for pedestrians, the group of teenagers turned heads due to the graphic print on the back of their black t-shirts featuring a white silhouette of a couple engaging in sexual intercourse. Just above that is the word “Ikeh”, which, according to Tribun, is a commonly heard expression in Japanese porn videos meaning “go in”, while the front of the t-shirt rather unambiguously featured the number 69.
Locals took photos of the teenagers as they were walking by a mosque, which soon went viral and angered many in the city, including its mayor.
“I ask that the police find them and find out the motivations of this community,” Pontianak Mayor Sutarmidji said, as quoted by Tribun yesterday.
While it could be argued that the t-shirts aren’t “pornographic”, Indonesia’s strict anti-pornography laws are ambiguously worded and have been used to justify harsh penalties in the past.
That said, there are no reports that the teenagers in the photo have been criminally charged for wearing the t-shirt.
“I regret it, and I’m ashamed too. I feel sorry for our parents, but what happened already happened and we apologize,” said one of the teenagers, who went by the pseudonym Bunga, as quoted by Tribun.
The teenagers are reportedly going to receive counseling from religious community leaders in the city.
