As part of a series of reforms that critics claim endanger the human rights and freedoms in the Southeast Asian nation, Indonesia’s legislature unanimously approved a comprehensive new criminal code on Tuesday that criminalises sex outside of marriage.
The new code, which is also applicable to foreign citizens and visitors, forbids cohabitation prior to marriage and apostasy and imposes penalties for insulting the president or expressing opinions at odds with the dominant ideology.
“All have agreed to ratify the (draft changes) into law,” said lawmaker Bambang Wuryanto, who led the parliamentary commission in charge of revising the colonial-era code. “The old code belongs to Dutch heritage … and is no longer relevant.”
The world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, Indonesia has seen a rise in religious conservatism in recent years. Strict Islamic laws are already enforced in parts of the country, including the semi-autonomous Aceh province, where alcohol and gambling are banned. Public floggings also take place in the region for a range of offenses including homosexuality and adultery.
The changes to the criminal code have not only alarmed human rights advocates, who warned of their potential to stifle personal freedoms, but also travel industry representatives – who worried about their potential effect on tourism.
In a news conference, Tuesday, Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly said it wasn’t easy for a multicultural and multi-ethnic country to make a criminal code that “accommodates all interests.”
