Source: Global Times
[Global Times Indonesia Special correspondent Jin Xuanyuan Global Times Reporter Zhen Xiang] According to Indonesia's Compass Daily on the 6th, the country's parliament passed an amendment to the Criminal Law on the same day, stipulating that extramarital sex can be sentenced to up to 1 year in prison, and cohabitation before marriage can be sentenced to 6 months in prison, and the above provisions also apply to foreigners in Indonesia. Associated Press and Reuters html reported on the 26th that in accordance with the principle of "no action", adultery lawsuits can only be initiated by the spouse, parents and children of the parties involved.
Data picture Source Foreign media
Associated Press said that Indonesia's original criminal law can be traced back to the Dutch colonial period. The country has been committed to amending the criminal law for decades. The amendment was discussed in 2019, but it triggered large-scale protests across the country, causing Indonesian President Jokovic to postpone this agenda.
After the amendment was officially passed, although the public's reaction was much milder than in 2019, there are still some controversies at home and abroad.
Some supporters say the amendment abolishes the provisions for convicting homosexuality and protects the rights of sexual minorities. On the other hand, according to Reuters, some critics said that the new legal provisions may "scare away" foreign tourists, which will affect the hotel service industry in tourist attractions such as Bali , which is not conducive to the country's economy recovering from the recession caused by the new crown pneumonia epidemic. Some critics pointed out that some amendments are too broad and may hinder normal social activities and are a "regression of social development."
The Associated Press said that Indonesia has been committed to making local customary law adapt to statutory law . It takes up to 3 years to transition from the old law to the new law, and relevant implementation rules must be formulated during this period.
