Indonesian parliament votes unanimously to ban sex outside of marriage

Interestingly, at the request of the deputies, the article can be applied to both Indonesians and foreigners, writes Al Jazeera. At the same time, none of them thought that the innovation could scare away foreign tourists.

Under the new law, Indonesians will be able to report unmarried couples or lovers to the police if they suspect they are having sex. Adultery will also be punished with imprisonment for up to a year or a fine.

The new Criminal Code also stipulates that from now on, one can be imprisoned for three years for criticizing the national ideology of Indonesia, known as Pancha Sila, and insulting the president, as well as for organizing rallies without prior notice to the authorities. The law is humane and, if there is a court decision, the prison can be replaced with a fine of 200 million Indonesian rupiah (about $1,200).

The new penal code, which, by the way, was unanimously approved by Parliament, replaces the old code of laws adopted after Indonesia gained independence in 1946. This document was a mixture of Dutch law, customary law known as "hukum adat" and modern Indonesian law.

“We tried to do our best to take into account national specifics and different opinions in society. However, the time has come to rewrite the laws that we inherited from colonial times”, - said Laoli, the Indonesian Minister of Law and Human Rights.

Meanwhile, it is known that during the nationwide discussion of the draft of the new Criminal Code in 2019, powerful student protests against “restrictions on personal freedom” took place. Then, more than 300 people were injured in clashes with the police.

Human rights groups said that with the passage of new laws, Indonesia has "taken a step back". In their opinion, the new repressive laws should have been repealed. The Criminal Code can be challenged in the Constitutional Court if it is considered that its adoption did not take into account public opinion.