Indonesia Bans Sex Outside of Marriage: 10 Things To Know

Indonesia's Parliament passed a law that would put one in jail for a year for having sex outside of marriage and six months for living together without marriage. The newly amended laws restrict the citizens from several things read more to know.

The criminal code passed in Indonesia's Parliament today takes the country back from years of progress. It takes away basic human rights from its citizens and the foreigners visiting them. Restricting from choosing sexual partners or their own religion, makes people think about how society is deteriorating rather than being inclusive.

Indonesia Bans Sex Outside of Marriage: 10 Things To Know

1. Reports suggest that the Indonesian Parliament passed a regressive law that constrains people to engage in sexual relations without being legally bound by marriage.
2. The law also restricts couples to cohabitate without legal sanction. Adultery is also criminalised according to reports.
3. The law is not about sexual manners and partners but also includes other areas like not speaking ill or publishing defamation articles against their president or expressing a thought that goes against their national ideology which is called Pancasila.
4. The laws don't end here as it also includes calling non-believers of religion, illegal.
5. Reportedly the laws will come to effect only after three years and both the citizens and foreigners will be accounted for such activities.
6. Indonesian lawmakers have unanimously passed these laws in Parliament. Yasonna Laoly, the minister of law and human rights in Indonesia told the media, "We have tried our best to accommodate the important issues and different opinions which were debated. However, it is time for us to make a historical decision on the penal code amendment and to leave the colonial criminal code we inherited behind."
7. There have been rallies conducted by protesters in Jakarta this week, says the reports.
8. Elaine Pearson, the Right's Group Asia Director said, "huge setback for a country that has tried to portray itself as a modern Muslim democracy."
9. The executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia, Usman Hamid said, "What we’re witnessing is a huge setback to Indonesia’s hard-won progress in protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms after the 1998 revolution. This criminal code should have never been passed in the first place".
10. The current leader of the democracy is Jokowi who according to the reports is known for his intolerance toward liberal norms and values and focuses on the economic development of the country. When the new laws will come into effect, Jokowi will have completed his second term.

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