It’s not an ideal system that we have here in Indonesia, so if you ever feel the need to upload proof of criminal and/or unethical behavior online, you have to be ready for the possibility of legal repercussions against you.
This week, a video was widely shared showing a driver of a Mitsubishi Pajero masturbating while the SUV was parked underneath a pedestrian bridge in Setiabudi, South Jakarta. The car’s sunroof was open at the time, allowing a view into AN’s private time.
It was later revealed that the driver, who is identified by his initials AN, was waiting for his employer and decided on self-pleasure to pass the time. AN also told the police that his wife is nine months pregnant.
“After the video went viral, the employer turned his driver in at the Setiabudi Precinct,” South Jakarta Police spokeswoman Nurma Dewi said yesterday.
But there may be an unexpected casualty in this incident. Nurma said that police are currently questioning the person who filmed the viral video, who may be charged with violating the Information and Electronic Transactions Act (UU ITE).
Though the specific charges were not disclosed, UU ITE’s controversially ambiguous articles on defamation, slander, and immorality have been used as tools of oppression in the past. Posting pornographic content online, for example, is a crime punishable by up to six years in prison under UU ITE in conjunction with the Anti-Pornography Law.
Meanwhile, police are considering charges of public indecency against AN, for which he may face up to 20 years in prison.
