Michael Moran – Indonesia is set to pass new legislation to outlaw sex before marriage, with a punishment of up to one year in jail for rule breakers.

Indonesian Deputy Justice Minister Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej said the new criminal code was "in line with Indonesian values".

The law, set to be introduced on December 15, would apply to foreign tourists as well as Indonesian citizens, leading to concerns that businesses could be adversely affected.

Shinta Widjaja Sukamdani, the deputy chairperson of the Indonesia Employers' Association said the new laws would "make investors re-consider investing in Indonesia". Similar changes, proposed in 2019, were called off after widespread unrest.

Monica Tanuhandaru, executive director of Indonesia's partnership for governance reform, said at the time that outlawing extramarital sex, contraception and cohabitation outside marriage would be "sending a bad signal to the world".

Despite "public consultations" to revise the criminal code, the new regulations bear many similarities to the 2019 proposals, including the criminalisation of abortion, with the exception of rape victims, and imprisonment for "black magic".

Conservative groups within Indonesian society have been pressing for more adherence to the principles of Sharia Law.

The province of Aceh operates its own, with harsher implementation of national law and penalties such as flogging (caning) for people suspected of extramarital sex.

Shocking pictures emerging from the city of Banda Aceh in November last year showed a woman collapsing in agony during a brutal Sharia punishment for the 'crime' of sex outside of marriage.

The unnamed woman was sentenced to 17 strokes of the lash along with her partner.

The punishment was carried out by an official, or Algojo, wearing a head-to-toe brown cloak with their identity obscured by a domino-type mask.

The woman, wearing traditional Islamic dress, was flogged with a bamboo cane. Her partner was flogged at the same event, staring defiantly out into the audience as the cane rose and fell.

A specialist team of eight women have been trained flogging techniques to deal with female offenders.

Banda Aceh Sharia police chief investigator Zakwan said: "We train them to make sure they're physically fit and teach them how to do a proper whipping.

"It's kind of an indoctrination that we give to them so they have a better understanding of their role – have no mercy for those who violate God's law."

Source: https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/sex-outside-marriage-banned-holiday-2864053