Indonesia set to put people in jail for having sex before marriage

This month, the Indonesian parliament is poised to enact a new criminal law that will punish sexual activity outside of marriage with up to a year in prison.

Bambang Wuryanto, a lawmaker participating in the drafting process, stated that the code may be approved as early as the following week.

If passed, the law will apply to both Indonesian nationals and foreigners.

Adultery can only be punished if there are parties that file complaints with the authorities.

The party eligible to file a complaint is the perpetrator’s husband or wife for married individuals.

The law also permits unwed parents to report their children for engaging in sexual activity.

Additionally, cohabitation before to marriage will be prohibited, and those convicted may face a six-month prison sentence.

According to Reuters, business groups are concerned that the measures may harm Indonesia’s reputation as a tourist and investment destination.

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Shinta Widjaja Sukamdani, vice chairman of the Indonesian Employers’ Association (APINDO), stated, “The adoption of this customary rule will generate legal ambiguity in the business sector and cause investors to reconsider investing in Indonesia.”

The previous draft of the code was scheduled to be ratified in 2019, but it triggered tens of thousands of protests around the nation.

Many, especially students, took to the streets in cities around Indonesia, with the most intense clashes occurring in Jakarta, the nation’s capital.

Police deployed tear gas and water cannon at protesters who had thrown stones.

Such stringent rules on sexuality and relationships are not unprecedented in sections of Indonesia’s Muslim majority.

The province of Aceh imposes strict Islamic rule and has punished individuals for gambling, drinking alcohol, and interacting with those of the opposite sex.

In one occasion in 2021, neighbors reported two males for engaging in sexual activity. They were publicly flogged by a police officer with 77 lashes apiece.

On the same day, a woman and a guy received 20 lashes each for being caught in close proximity, while two males received 40 lashes apiece for becoming drunk.