Lynn Lee – A new law passed in Aceh to stone to death married people who commit adultery as well as whip homosexuals who have sex is being seen as a last-ditch move by conservative Islamic lawmakers to impose their preferences on society.
Almost a third of Aceh's provincial lawmakers now come from the Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP), Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and National Mandate Party (PAN). They will finish their five-year term on Sept 30.
The lawmakers agreed on Monday that adultery and homosexuality – already considered mortal sins in this devout Muslim province – would carry harsher punishments. Rape, the consumption of alcohol and gambling would also carry higher penalties of up to 400 lashes of the whip.
This new law in Aceh has caused fears that it will inspire conservative Muslims elsewhere in Indonesia to push for syariah law on a national level.
Already, Aceh has been following some syariah rules since 2001. Headscarves for women are mandatory, and those convicted of drinking alcohol and gambling have been caned publicly.
The Indonesian government, which has always maintained that laws should stay secular even though 90 per cent of Indonesians are Muslim, allowed syariah law to take root in its westernmost province in the hope that it would quell separatist tension.
Ironically, the separatist rebels who spent over two decades till 2005 fighting for Acehnese independence from Indonesia never lobbied hard for it.
It was always the pet project of the conservative Islamic parties which have dominated Aceh's legislature because they have more hardline interpretations of the Quran.
Rights activists have condemned the law as cruel and degrading. It undermines the secular basis of Indonesia's law, National Commission on Human Rights head Ifdhal Kasim told Agence France-Presse, adding that the rights group was appealing to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to review the legislation.
Even as most Acehnese do agree with syariah law, many activists in Aceh have denounced the new law as 'inhumane'.
Lukman Abba, who owns the Harian Aceh newspaper, explained to The Straits Times: "Of course we agree with syariah law. "We are all good Muslims and live according to guidelines in Islam. So formalising it like this makes no difference to us, and what is more, it is not in line with national law."
While a minority of Acehnese do support the new law, the bulk of its more than four million population voted against the political parties responsible in the April 9 legislative election.
They chose members of the Aceh Party – made up largely of former separatist rebels who support a moderate form of Islam – to run the province.
Aceh Party now accounts for a third, or 33, of the new 69-seat provincial Parliament. The PKS, PPP and PAN, which have 28 seats in the outgoing Parliament, will have only 12 seats in the new House. Lawmakers from the Democratic Party, Golkar and smaller secular parties make up the remainder.
Aceh resident Ayi Yufridar, 37, said lawmakers ignored the public's view when drafting the new law. "It was not discussed in mailing lists or public forums, and came as a surprise to us... many of us feel this law is just not applicable for Aceh."