Indonesia Outlaws Adultery, Communism, Marxism, Most Abortions
The Indonesian parliament has passed a law criminalizing adultery after Tuesday’s revision of the country’s penal code which will see those found guilty facing a year behind bars – and even six months for cohabitation.
Among the revisions are articles banning the promotion of contraception, religious blasphemy, and abortion in all cases except life-threatening medical emergencies, or rape if the fetus is under 12 weeks old, while a proposed law making gay sex illegal was rejected during debates.
The updated penal code – which won’t likely come into force for years – also sets a 10-year jail sentence for citizens who associate with Marxist-Leninist ideologies, four years for spreading Communism, and three years for criticizing a sitting President.
Indonesia bans sex outside marriage as parliament passes sweeping new criminal code
Dec 6, 2022
Indonesian lawmakers unanimously passed a sweeping new criminal code on Tuesday that criminalizes sex outside marriage, as part of a tranche of changes that critics say threaten human rights and freedoms in the Southeast Asian country.
The new code, which also applies to foreign residents and tourists, bans cohabitation before marriage, apostasy, and provides punishments for insulting the president or expressing views counter to the national 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.
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