Brits May Still Call Amber Rudd ‘Koplak’ And ‘Edun!’
As Theresa May ponders outlawing free expression in Britain…
Hands Off RT! Somebody Should Start A Petition!
…there’s been an astonishing verdict in Jakarta this week, some woman called Asma Dewi sentenced to prison for using the words koplak ( stupid) and edun (crazy) to criticize the government on Facebook.”
As a rule, I find Indonesian ladies delightful, but from what I know of this woman, I doubt very much if I’d enjoy her company, nor she mine.
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She was reported to be the treasurer of the Tamasya Al-Maidah Islamic group that had encouraged massive anti-Ahok protests. http://indonesiaexpat.biz/other/scams-in-the-city/manufacturing-hatred/
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Ahok was a rather good Jakarta governor and was and still is a very good man, and I was horrified when he went to prison for ‘blasphemy.’
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Ahok
Slouching Towards Shariah, Indonesia Jails Ahok!
However, I’ve been in Indonesia for near enough 20 years and never heard the word ‘edun‘ though koplak (usually pronounced ‘goblok’ ) is a common enough insult.
I prefer the more colourful term otak udang ( literally ‘prawn brain…’
….a reference to the alleged anatomical location of the sea-creature’s brain, on or about its rear end!) as a put-down.
But I’m a polite chap and try not to insult the people whose country I live in.
Asma Dewi was given ‘time-served’ but she had languished in custody for over five months; so she’s out.
However, one of the judges reportedly scolded her thus – ‘both words were not in the Indonesian official dictionary…“
So had she selected more formal insults, would she have been acquitted?
Apparently not, under Article 207 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) for insulting those in power or legal institutions. http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2018/03/15/asma-dewi-sentenced-to-jail-for-using-swear-words-to-criticize-government.html
However strange we Western folk find some aspects of the Indonesian Legal Code- and I’m thinking of that ‘Blasphemy Law’ as much as Article 207 – there’s not a lot we can do about it.
Yet imagine if governments in the West were similarly shielded from unflattering comments!
And in particular to SLANG insults!
We’d find ourselves lectured by judges for describing Amber Rudd as a bampot or a wally.
Mind you, such denigration of her intelligence pales in comparison to what most Brits said after she let all those burly so-called ‘child migrants’ in from Calais…
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Andita 13:31 on March 16, 2018 Permalink |
So sad to think that she is out while Ahok is still in.
Many Indonesian people think like you that he is in there for no good reason.
Same like many other people who see nothing wrong to criticise any religion. or get mean treatment for only practising own worship.in own mosque like Ahmadiyah.
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Santi 14:01 on March 16, 2018 Permalink |
Thank you Ross, I always say thanks when you go back to write about Indonesia.
It is crime to insult even people who deserve insult here and I do envy the British who can call the woman Amber Rudd stupid when she cannot see that these men are not children.
Interesting story for me because I never know of it before.
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