On Tuesday, the Indonesian parliament approved the new penal code which, among other things, prohibits sexual relations outside of marriage.
Human rights organizations have protested against the new penal code, denouncing the suppression of civil and political liberties and the tendency towards fundamentalism.
The most controversial articles of the new penal code are the bans on premarital and extramarital sex, as well as the ban on cohabitation between unmarried couples.
There are also major concerns that the law could have a huge impact on the LGBTQ community in Indonesia, where same-sex marriage is not permitted.
A spokesman for Indonesia’s Ministry of Law and Human Rights defended the new penal code ahead of the parliamentary vote and said the new law would protect the institution of marriage.
He said only the spouse, parents or children would be able to report premarital and extramarital sex.
The debate over the revision of the Indonesian penal code has been going on for decades.
Rights groups say the proposed amendments signal a shift towards fundamentalism in a country long praised for its religious tolerance and whose constitution enshrines secularism.
“We are going backwards (..), the repressive laws should have been repealed, but the bill proves that the arguments of foreign scholars are true and that our democracy is undoubtedly in decline,” Usman Hamid told AFP, Amnesty International’s director for Indonesia. Press Agency.
A hundred people protested on Monday against the adoption of the new penal code and a demonstration in front of parliament is also scheduled for today.
