Jakarta: The law makers of Indonesia are set to criminalise sex outside marriage between unmarried couples, and the jail term for the crime can land one for imprisonment upto 5 years. Also, the law would criminalise gay sex.
In Indonesia’s Aceh province, already there has been strict implementation of Shariah law and the person who commits sex outside marriage will be whipped in public.
The opposition and the rights activist fear that this could lead to threat to privacy and human rights abuse.
Muhammad Isnur, head of advocacy at the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute Foundation said that “Indonesia, whose constitution guarantees human rights and has ratified many human rights covenants, will be ridiculed by the world for creating a law that is potentially violating many of those rights.”
The revised criminal code also has few articles which could threaten the young democracy of Indonesia. One such article makes the criticism of the President defamation and other articles weaken the Corruption Eradication Commission.