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February 25, 2025 | 06:36 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The police censorship of the song "Bayar Bayar Bayar" (Pay Pay Pay) by the Indonesian punk band SUKATANI has received strong protests from students, civil society, and fellow musicians. The song was banned for allegedly mocking the police institution. Although not admitted, many believe that the SUKATANI duo was forced to withdraw the song from circulation on various media platforms.
SUKATANI Suppression, DKJ: The State Must Ensure Freedom of Expression
The Secretary General of the Jakarta Arts Council (DKJ), Bambang Prihadi, said that the state must ensure freedom of expression so that there is no suppression of artistic works, either by authorities or by space owners as has happened recently. "We believe that art plays a vital role in building a critical, inclusive, and democratic society," said Bambang in a written statement last weekend.
According to Bambang, all forms of censorship and restriction on artistic works must be stopped for the progress of the nation's culture and civilization. Since Friday morning, February 21, 2025, various groups have taken to the streets to protest against the censorship of SUKATANI music. The protesters also expressed their support for SUKATANI. This action took place in the area of the Patung Kuda, Central Jakarta, under the title "Dark Indonesia".
Initially, the withdrawal of the song was announced by the SUKATANI personnel on the social media account @sukatani.band on Thursday, February 20, 2025. In the post, the two SUKATANI personnel, Muhammad Syifa Al Lufti (guitarist) and Novi Citra Indriyati (vocalist), expressed their apologies to the Chief of Police and the police institution.
Forced Apology Displayed with Real Faces and Names
Both personnel appeared without masks, something they had never done before. Until now, the SUKATANI duo chose to remain anonymous in public.
"We sincerely apologize to the Chief of Police and the Police institution for our song entitled 'Bayar-Bayar-Bayar', which in its lyrics (contains the word) to pay the police that we sang and became viral on several social media platforms," said Lufti in the video post.
In the statement, Lufti mentioned that the song was created as a critique of police officers who violated the rules. "I created the song to criticize police officers who violated the regulations," he said.
Regarding the censorship targeting SUKATANI's music, Bambang stated that the Jakarta Arts Council will continue to monitor the situation and is ready to cooperate with various parties to ensure artistic freedom in Indonesia remains protected.
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