Indecency trial begins for Playboy Indonesia editor

Last Updated: Thursday, December 7, 2006 | 9:54 AM ET

CBC Arts

The editor of Playboy Indonesia appeared in court in Jakarta Thursday, charged with publishing indecent material.

Though the country's version of the famed men's magazine contains no nudity and is tamer than other editions published around the world, religious groups and politicians have condemned it.

Erwin Arnada, the publisher of Playboy Indonesia, shows copies of the first edition of the magazine in Jakarta in April. His trial for publishing indecent material was adjourned Thursday until Dec. 14.
(Irwin Fedriansyah/Associated Press)

Editor Erwin Arnada has argued that his edition is equally or even less explicit than many other Indonesian versions of Western men's magazines — including Maxim and FHM — that have been sold locally for years with no protest.

Nevertheless, the prosecution told the court on Thursday that Arnada oversaw photo shoots and selected photos of scantily clad female models, who "also had inviting expressions on their faces."

Prosecutor Resni Muchtar called for the maximum sentence of 32 months in prison for Arnada.

The trial was adjourned until Dec. 14, when witnesses are scheduled to appear.

Playboy Indonesia is the latest of about 20 international editions of the iconic men's magazine, founded by Hugh Hefner in 1953.

Like many other Western titles, the Playboy franchise has been expanding into Asian markets.

The magazine launched in Indonesia, which is predominantly Muslim, on a wave of advertising in April. It was met with violent protests organized by an ultra-conservative Muslim group.

Demanding the title cease publication, protesters smashed windows and gates at the magazine's Jakarta offices, clashed with police and burned copies of the debut issue.

Arnada then moved the magazine's offices to the resort island of Bali, which has a mostly Hindu population, in time for the publication of the second issue in June.