'Bad Romance': Lady Gaga's Indonesia Concert Canceled, National Police Say

Pop star Lady Gaga’s upcoming Jakarta concert was canceled by the National Police on Tuesday amid harsh protest from Indonesia’s hard-line Islamist organizations.

“The National Police said verbally that [the concert] would not be permitted,” Jakarta police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said.

The Jakarta Police previously recommended canceling the sold-out concert in response to public opposition.

Lady Gaga’s planned concert pitted Indonesia’s “little monsters” against the nation’s hard-line Islamist organizations.

Ticket sales were strong, with concert selling some 52,000 tickets in two weeks. Promoter Big Daddy released another 2,000 tickets on Monday.

But hard-line groups like the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) have rallied against the concert — Lady Gaga’s first in Indonesia — calling the pop diva a “dangerous” influence on Indonesia’s youth. The organization’s Jakarta chairman Salim Alatas told Agence France-Presse that FPI members would mobilize 30,000 supporters to forcibly prevent Lady Gaga from stepping off her plane.

“We will stop her from setting foot on our land. She had better not dare spread her satanic faith in this country,” FPI Jakarta chairman Salim Alatas told AFP. “Her style is vulgar, her sexual and indecent clothes will destroy our children’s sense of morality. She’s very dangerous.”

The Muslim Defenders Team, a legal aid organization known for representing Islamist and terrorist groups, claimed that Lady Gaga teaches fans to worship the devil.

Michael Rusli, president director of Big Daddy, dismissed the claims as ridiculous on Monday as he announced the release of an additional 2,000 tickets.

Michael was not available for immediate comment on Tuesday.

The Indonesian Council of Churches (PGI), a Christian organization, threw its support behind the concert on Tuesday, explaining that Indonesia’s constitution protects freedom of expression. Gomar Gultom, secretary general of the PGI, said that it was the job of religious leaders — not pop stars or the police — to keep the nation’s moral fiber intact.

“It is the duty of religious figures to guide people to have a clear mind and stand against pornographic temptations,” he said.

The June 3 concert was planned for Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.

Although the concert was canceled in Jakarta, Lady Gaga could perform in another Indonesian city, as long as local police supported the event, the Indonesian news portal Detik.com reported.

From JG



DK

"Hoera-hoera the FPI rulz" or something rediculous like that, or so it seems! Well to tell you the truth, I do not like her kind of music, but that is my preferrence, I have no problem with the young lady performing but it would be nice if she would wear a bit how to say..., more substantial costumes rather than a glut of bare hide! siK.

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Wed, 05/16/2012


The US pop diva Lady Gaga’s scheduled concert fiasco proves that certain hard-line groups have been successfully pushing local authorities to meet their demands, indirectly controlling the nation, a Muslim scholar says.

Rector of the Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic State University Komaruddin Hidayat told The Jakarta Post that certain groups within society had successfully influenced the government to intervene against Indonesian’s freedom of expression, adding that authorities should have protected it.

“This is a setback and a pathetic situation in which we find the public sphere where Indonesians should be able to express themselves without restraint in fact faces intervention from one community that has become a powerful force in this nation,” he said Wednesday morning.

He added that while hard-liner groups had pressured the authorities, several members of the government apparently had relented to their demands, saying that it was a “politically correct” move to do.

“This situation proves that there are fraudulent officials that have been using the hard-liner groups to further their own political interests,” he said.

Komaruddin was responding to the National Police’s refusal to issue permits to Lady Gaga’s Jakarta concert.

The Police claimed that the eccentric singer “does not resemble the country’s local culture.”

Lady Gaga is slated to perform at the Bung Karno Stadium in Senayan, Central Jakarta on June 3.

The singer, known for her pop songs such as “Poker Face” and “Bad Romance”, has sparked strong opposition from groups such as the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Islam Defenders Front (FPI), United Development Party (PPP) and the Islamic People’s Forum (FUI).

MUI and FUI sent a letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono requesting him to consider rejecting the concert’s permit.

In 2007, American R&B diva Beyonce was scheduled to perform in Malaysia, a predominantly Muslim country, but the concert was cancelled because the sexy songster refused to abide by the nation’s so-called “decent” dress-code for women.

The Kuala Lumpur concert’s cancellation turned out to be Jakarta’s gain, because the diva decided to stop in the capital of the biggest Southeast Asian economy instead.

In 2012, however, it was Indonesia’s law enforcement agencies that denied issuing a permit for Gaga’s concert in Jakarta.

Komaruddin refused to comment on the changing situation but affirmed that the hard-liner groups were better off “fighting corruption practices” than disrupting Indonesians’ freedom of expression.

However, I think Lady Gaga has no respect for the host country.
She may sing what she wants (I do not like her songs), but why does her managers not to the dresscode?
Provoke?

(sorry for my bad English)

DK

Oh, no worry bro. K'nijn, everything honkey-dorie aka arright! siK.

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Fri, 05/18/2012


The Jakarta Police have dashed any chance of lobbying or negotiations over their decision to not issue a permit for the much anticipated concert of US pop diva Lady Gaga, saying that their decision is final and will remain unchanged.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said on Friday that representatives of Big Daddy Entertainment, the local promoter organizing Gaga’s Jakarta concert, had fully accepted the police’s decision in a meeting held at the Jakarta Police headquarters on Tuesday.

According to Rikwanto, the police were represented by Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Untung S. Rajab at the meeting, which started at 10 a.m. and lasted for around 45 minutes.

“At the end of the meeting, we concluded that we would not issue a permit for the concert. The promoter accepted and understood our decision,” he said, adding that the Jakarta Police would assist the promoter during the process of refunding the tickets already sold.

About 50,000 tickets, priced from Rp 465,000 (US$50.75) to Rp 2.25 million, have already been sold for the gig since sales opened on March 10. The Grammy-award winning Gaga, who is known for her unique outfits and distinguishing live performances, was slated to perform at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on June 3 as one of the first stops on her world tour, titled “The Born This Way Ball”.

Gaga’s upcoming show in Indonesia received strong oppositions from conservative Muslim groups such as the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) and the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), as well as the United Development Party (PPP), one of the oldest political parties in Indonesia that currently controls 38 of the 560 seats at the House of Representatives.

Rikwanto advised promoters to consider thoroughly whether a musician was appropriate for the country’s culture before he or she was invited to perform in a predominantly Muslim nation like Indonesia.

“Ideally, promoters should have obtained a permit from the Jakarta Police before [selling tickets],” he said, adding that he hoped a similar incident would not happen to other concert promoters in the future.

Difficult decision for the police, but it is also to blame for Lady Gaga.
She does not want to change its dress code!
Sad for her fans.


DK

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Sat, 05/19/2012


Lady Gaga’s local concert promoter, Big Daddy Entertainment, should pay all compensation fees to consumers who had purchased tickets for the US pop singer’s cancelled concert, the Indonesian Consumer Protection Foundation (YLKI) said.

“The first thing concert promoters should do is refund all concert tickets immediately, without any cuts,” YLKI official Tulus Abadi told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

On top of that, there should be additional fees because the losses that incurred were not only economic, but were also social, he said.

Other fees included, for example, the extra fees that foreigners or people outside of Jakarta might have to pay for cancelling their hotel bookings, he said.

Although the concert promoter is not responsible for refunding hotel fees, Tulus said that they have to pay related penalty fees.

“Big Daddy Entertainment should have arranged and planned for cultural complications such as those that are arising here,” he said.

“They should have foreseen that there were going to be consequences or cultural backlash from people who didn’t like Lady Gaga. Doing so is just standard business procedure.”

Furthermore, he said that if the promoter ended up losing money, “then it’s their fault,” because they also carried business risk when planning to have Lady Gaga perform here.

The government should also help by facilitating the compensation process by, for example, ensuring the promoter sticks to the refunding schedule.

Over 50,000 tickets were reportedly sold for Gaga’s concert, which was planned to be held at Bung Karno Stadium in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on June 3.

Around 12,000 tickets were purchased by foreigners from Australia and the Philippines, among other countries.

The concert was cancelled due to the fact that the Jakarta Police refused to recommend the National Police issue the necessary permit.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto argued that “Lady Gaga indulges in revealing her body, dancing erotically and spreading pornography”.

He also argued that the decision had been made by “looking at the big picture”.

Gaga’s upcoming show in Indonesia received strong opposition from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) and the hard line group, Islamic Defenders Front (FPI).

The FPI has threatened to send its members to intercept Lady Gaga upon her arrival at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport should the concert plans proceed.


( poor Big Daddy, now broke Little Daddy.., serves Daddy right siK.)

Govt asks National Police to reconsider Gaga concert.

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Sun, 05/20/2012


The government has asked the National Police to look again at the ongoing controversy over US singer Lady Gaga’s planned concert in Jakarta, a senior minister says.

Coordinating Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto said on Sunday that the government had asked National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo to end the dispute over Gaga’s concert by providing a “win-win solution” for both parties.

“The Police could put an end to the heated situation by mediating between the concert promoter and the protesters so that the show can go on under certain terms and conditions,” he told The Jakarta Post.

Gaga, was slated to perform at Bung Karno Stadium in Senayan, Central Jakarta on June 3. However the Jakarta Police said that they would recommend the National Police not to issue a permit for the performance.

Article 15 of the 2002 Police Law stipulates that it is the National Police who have the authority "to issue a permit for, and monitor activities, involving crowds".

The artist, known for her racy persona and costumes, has sparked protests from hard-line groups in the country.

Commenting on this, Djoko, a former military chief, said that the National Police could seek a compromise from the local promoter, Big Daddy Entertainment, for a compromise whereby Gaga’s management was asked to tone down her “Unusual appearance” while performing in the capital.

“Her costumes, dance choreography, dancers and songs must fit in with our current social conditions, the terms and conditions must be set out in a written agreement,” he said.

Separately, the National Police’s Brig. Gen. Mohammad Taufik, was quoted by tempo.co as saying that his office would study all the requirements that the promoter had to meet to hold the concert in Jakarta.

He added that, aside from a recommendation from the Jakarta authorities, other requirements needed to hold a concert included an authorization from the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry.

“Other requirements include a concert permit from the Bung Karno Stadium office and a license from the Immigration Office for the foreign artist to come to Indonesia,” he said