Indonesians protest law banning sex outside marriage
STORY: As Indonesia's parliament passes a controversial new criminal code, a couple of hundred meters outside the building, protesters have set up camp.
The country’s new criminal code ushers in a raft of laws, including banning insulting the president and expressing views that run counter to state ideology.
But among the most contentious articles are those that criminalize sex outside of marriage, punishable with up to a year in jail.
These protesters are arguing the new criminal code is a “setback” for democracy.
“The government should focus on fulfilling people’s civil rights, the economy and culture, such as job vacancies, healthcare, and etc, they should have passed laws related to that. Instead, they passed a law that is not democratic, controls our private lives, and does not take care of public matters. It is a setback for our country, which had fought for reform and now we are moving backwards.”
The laws, which include more lenient sentences for those charged with corruption, will not come into effect for three years to allow for implementing regulations to be drafted.
But it has sparked concern that it may scare away tourists and harm investment in the world's third-largest democracy.
Although legal expert Bivitri Susanti believes the law won’t be strictly enforced.
“So there are some technicalities indeed but those articles still can be threats to democracy because they are actually against the constitution, against the human rights. And at the end of the day, although maybe (the) conduct is not punished in practice, but to have such a regulation, to have such a legal framework will also create some kind of stigmatization and then also the feeling that we cannot freely criticize the government and psychologically affect the society.”
The government had planned revise the country's colonial-era criminal code in 2019 but nationwide protests halted its passage.
The morality charges have also been partially watered down from an earlier version of the bill - so people can only be reported by limited parties, such as a parent or child.
The new code will still apply to Indonesians and foreigners alike.
相關影片推薦
- 1:18美馬戲團大象逃脫 穿梭車陣民眾驚呼 馬路秒變野生動物園Yahoo奇摩(國際通)29,831 次觀看・1 天前
- 6:11強震來臨這3個縣市最危險 李鴻源曝災防都更因「票房毒藥」難行今天誰來沛211,983 次觀看・21 小時前
- 1:53加拿大史上最大黃金盜竊案逮6人 加航「內鬼」偽造空運單 400公斤黃金恐已熔化售出Yahoo奇摩(國際通)34,996 次觀看・19 小時前
- 1:13柯建銘質詢一半突喊「我看不到」計時器 透露眼睛病變華視影音7,929 次觀看・22 小時前
- 1:1126歲抗癌網紅因胃癌去世 生命最後5個月沒吃沒喝娛樂星聞57,754 次觀看・2 天前
- 1:15謝和弦不認偷吃陳芳語嗆前妻記錯人!自爆出軌對象是「她」秒遭Keanna打臉娛樂星聞4,929 次觀看・12 小時前
- 2:02英國女遊台南「喝全糖珍奶」 嚇壞驚呼:天大錯誤華視影音304,980 次觀看・1 天前
- 23:55台積電法說會登場 投資人關心加碼美國新廠風險 但面對拜登和川普搶當美國保護主義隊長 川普幕僚密謀促貶美元 拜登祭301調查要提高中國商品關稅 台積電等於買了保險|鏡轉全球 #鏡鏡新聞786 次觀看・14 小時前
- 1:39男童"騎單車"上快車道 暖心民眾放慢車速"殿後"護送民視影音54,434 次觀看・18 小時前
- 2:22世界最小核潛艇 法國老牌「紅寶石級」罕見公開 直擊內部作業、核動力能巡洋數月Yahoo奇摩(國際通)12,217 次觀看・1 天前