Indonesia has once more become tobacco industry target to promote their deadly product.  Tobacco exhibition on World Tobacco Process and Machinery Asia Exhibition 2016 will take place in International Expo Centre (JIExpo) Jakarta upcoming on 27-28th April 2016.

Jakarta is the city with advance regulation on tobacco control.  Some of the examples are:

1. Governor Regulation Number 50, 2012 about Non Smoking Area
2. Governor Regulation Number 1, 2015 about Total Banning on Tobacco Advertising in Outdoor Area.
3. Governor Regulation Number 244, 2015 about Tobacco Billboards Regulation – clause 42 verse (1)

By hosting the international scale tobacco exhibition, the Jakarta government shows inconsistences act with their own regulations. 

While other countries seriously protect their people from tobacco smoking impact, Indonesia has been known to be the most welcome country toward tobacco industry.  At least 2 international tobacco exhibitions were held here in Indonesia; World Tobacco Asia 2012 and Inter-tabac Asia 2014.

World Tobacco Asia 2012

World Tobacco Asia was held in Jakarta in 2012.  Lots of people from tobacco control activists and students protest against this event.  Colin Case as the representative from the event, also the EO of the exhibition, at that time met the crowd and said a promise to the public that they will not held the exhibition again in the future here in Jakarta.  4 years later, this coming April 2016, they broke their own promises and held the exactly same exhibition in Jakarta. Shame on them! (http://seatca.org/?p=593

Inter-tabac Asia 2014

In 2014, Indonesia once again became a host of international tobacco industry exhibition called “Inter-tabac Asia” held in Bali.  However, the exhibition were protested by public and tobacco control activist and finally it’s was cancelled.  Even after it, the industry did not stop and find a way to move to Jakarta, which was also being rejected by Governor Jakarta, Ahok.

And this year, the tobacco exhibition will focus on process and machinery.  This is a huge agenda that could destroy the employee, those who works in the company, where they could be replaced by the machine.

Tobacco industry has been known as a bad industry and many countries could not allow their conduct using promotion including tobacco exhibition.  By hosting this event, Indonesia will be put on shame because we could not provide protection to our people from tobacco industry.  Therefore, we must go against this exhibition in Indonesia!

We ask Governor Basuki Tjahja Purnama to stop WT Process and Machinery Asia Exhibition 2016 for the sake of Indonesia next generation!