Indonesia's parliament passes anti-smut bill

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's parliament passed an anti-pornography bill on Thursday to shield the young in the world's most populous Muslim country from pornographic material and lewd acts, overriding opposition from minority groups.

The anti-porn bill was pushed by a small group of Islamist parties in predominantly Muslim, but officially secular, Indonesia.

The bill's supporters say it will save the nation from moral destruction while critics say it will destroy Indonesia's pluralistic traditions.

Two opposition parties -- the nationalist Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle and the Christian Prosperous and Peace Party -- walked out when parliament passed the bill.

Some members of parliament clapped and shouted "Allahu Akbar," or God is great, following the knock of the hammer to signal the bill had been passed.

About 200 Muslim women in headscarves rallied in front of the parliament building in support of the bill.

The bill has been condemned by some of the country's minorities including the Balinese, who are Hindu, as well as Christians, and some tribal groups who favour near-nudity as traditional attire.

Critics say that the exceptions to the bill for sexually explicit cultural and artistic material are too vague, and that by allowing civil organisations to play a role in preventing pornography, this could open the door for vigilante groups to take the law into their own hands.

(Reporting by Telly Nathalia, Writing by Olivia Rondonuwu; editing by Sugita Katyal and Sanjeev Miglani)