Indonesia, which enjoys a free media and a pluralistic society that encompasses Western-style urbanites as well as austere Muslim traditionalists, is having a hard time in its quest to ban pornography. The Parliament passed the first of a series of laws in 2008 that sought to limit online access to pornographic websites. The public debate over the issue has raged continuously in the two years since. Most recently, the government last month mandated that Internet service providers must work with government officials to block every single pornographic website from access within Indonesia by August 11, which the New York Times' Aubrey Belford explains is a near-impossible task.

The debate over pornography came to a head this week in the same place it started: the Parliament house. Multiple news agencies report that pornography was broadcast throughout the building for a full 15 minutes before being shut down. The Agence France-Presse reports, "Hardcore porn was broadcast on the Indonesian parliament's internal information service Monday, shocking journalists and bureaucrats who rely on the screens for updates on political events."

It was not clear how the images appeared on the screens but House Speaker Marzuki Alie said whoever was responsible would be punished.

"Whoever hacked the screens is insolent and will be reported to the authorities," he told reporters.

The incident is sure to embarrass President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who has recently backed calls for stricter controls on the Internet following a national scandal over an online celebrity sex clip.

The BBC says it's "unclear" if the broadcasts are connected to the pornography debate. The Jakarta Globe's Markus Junianto Sihaloho, who was presumably on the scene, has the most detailed description of the images and reaction:

What was displayed on the screen were extremely hard-core photographs and advertisements — including one for “young teens” — from an adult Web site that is banned in neighboring Singapore and Malaysia. Security personnel had to switch off the terminals to stop the offensive broadcast.

Lawmakers were far from amused. “It’s not a funny incident. Someone must be held responsible for it,” said Roy Suryo, a Democratic Party lawmaker.

An angry Marzuki Alie, the Democratic House speaker, said a hacker was likely behind the prank. “We may file a police complaint,” he said.

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