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AsiaIndonesia will not meddle in the sex life of tourists
Indonesian authorities tried to reassure tourists on Monday after concerns arose over a new penal code that criminalizes sex outside marriage.
Bali will remain “comfortable and safe for visitors,” authorities have assured.
AFP extension
“I want to address foreign tourists by saying, ‘Come to Indonesia, you will not be chased by this article.’ On Monday, the Indonesian Deputy Minister of Justice and Human Rights wanted to reassure travelers scalded by a text that criminalizes sex outside marriage.
According to Indonesia’s new penal code, sexual relations outside of marriage and partnership can only be reported by close family members of the persons concerned, be they spouse, parent or child, said Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej. The minister recalled that adultery was already punishable in the previous version of the code.
Bali rests Bali
On Tuesday, the parliament of the south-east Asian country approved a text that punishes a maximum of one year’s imprisonment sex outside marriage and six months’ imprisonment for cohabitation, a sign of a conservative shift in the great Muslim country. Business representatives have raised the alarm that this reform could harm Indonesia’s tourism sector.
In Bali, the archipelago’s main tourist destination, Governor Wayan Koster has also tried to allay fears about the new penal code, assuring that the authorities will not verify the marital status of tourists. The Hindu-majority island of Bali will not change its policy towards foreigners after the code is in place, he said. “Bali remains Bali”, an island “comfortable and safe for visitors”.
“There will be no marital status check upon arrival at the accommodation (…) nor inspection by community officials or leaders,” it said in a statement. The new penal code has yet to be signed by President Joko Widodo and is expected to enter into force in three years, following a transition period.
(AFP extension)
