Indonesia's parliament today adopted a new criminal code under which sexual relations outside marriage will be punished, with human rights advocates denouncing the setback to individual freedoms and the country's drift towards fundamentalism.
The new criminal code has been in preparation for decades and replaces the one in force since Dutch colonial rule in Indonesia. It was adopted by a majority of parliamentarians.
It will prohibit couples from cohabiting before marriage
Under it, it will be illegal to insult the president and state institutions of Indonesia and to express views contrary to state ideology. Couples will also be banned from cohabiting before marriage.
"We have done our best to take important issues into consideration and various opinions have been discussed," Justice Minister Yasona Laoli told parliament.
"However, the time has come to take a historic decision to amend the penal code and leave behind the colonial penal code we inherited" after the country's independence in 1949, she added.
Albert Arias, a representative of the Justice Ministry committee responsible for drafting the new penal code, pointed out that the change would protect the institution of marriage.
He stressed that premarital and extramarital affairs can only be denounced by one of the spouses, parents or children of the couple, which limits the force of the law.
"We are going backwards"
The new criminal code will apply to both Indonesians and foreigners in the country, with some businesses having expressed concern about the negative impact it may have on Indonesia's image as a tourist and investment destination.
The draft of the new criminal code had the support of some Islamic groups in a country that has seen a rise in conservatism, but critics complain it reverses liberal reforms adopted after the 1998 fall of Indonesia's authoritarian leader Suharto.
As human rights groups complain, the changes to the penal code mark a setback for the world's most populous Muslim country, which was known for its religious tolerance.
The new laws may also significantly affect the rights of the LGBTI community in Indonesia.
"We are taking steps backwards (...) oppressive laws should be abolished. But the bill shows that the arguments of foreign academics are correct: our democracy is undoubtedly in decline," said Usman Hamid, Amnesty International's director in Indonesia.
Protests
About 100 people, according to the AP, demonstrated against the new criminal code yesterday Monday in Jakarta, holding a banner that read: "Reject the adoption of the revision of the penal code."
Another demonstration against the new penal code was planned for today in front of parliament.
The bill must now be signed by the president and will come into force in three years.
Source: in.gr
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