Erwin Arnada, the editor of the Indonesian edition of Playboy and two of the models - Kartika Gunawan and Andara Early - who appeared in April’s premiere edition have been formally named by police as suspects in an indecency case against the magazine.

Under Indonesian law, declaring somebody a suspect is a stage before formal charges are filed.

After a series of threats and attacks, the second edition of the magazine was finally published in June from Bali, a Hindu enclave where conservative Islam has little clout, Arnada wrote:

The absence of a growing monopoly of a set of values and views in our beloved country in the end is our final purpose. We believe that is also the target of all of us who live with reason and want to understand the meaning of democracy and a pluralistic society.

Kartika Gunawan has also defended her (non-naked) appearance in the magazine. The Jakarta Post quoted her as saying: “If it is halal, why not take it.” Halal is an Islamic term for permissible.

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