A new law in Indonesia's Aceh province that imposes up to 100 lashes of the cane for lesbian and gay sex came into force on Friday, Oct. 23.
The anti-gay law, which makes anal sex between men and rubbing of body parts between women for stimulation illegal, applies to locals as well as tourists, according to Pink News.
"The law is to safeguard human dignity. It is to protect Aceh's Muslims from committing immoral acts," Syahrizal Abbas, chief of the Islamic Sharia in the province told AFP.
"There is nothing to be worried about with the enactment of the law. This becomes the umbrella for the upholding of Islamic law. It does not violate human rights. It instead raises the dignity of human beings," Abbas said, according to the Associated Press.
The law, which was passed by regional parliament in 2014, has been severely criticized by human rights and LGBT rights groups. They have called for the abolition of the law.
An Indonesian human rights activist Ismail Hasani describes it as "cruel, inhuman and against the constitution," according to BBC.
Hendra Saputra, a rights activist working in Aceh, voiced concern over the selective enforcement of law in the province. "Many cases involving officials do not result in canings, but ordinary people are often caned," Saputra told BenarNews.
A young lesbian couple recently was arrested in Banda Aceh after the two were seen sitting and hugging in a public space, according to LGBT2.
Homosexuality is not illegal in the other provinces of Indonesia. The conservative Aceh is the only province in the Southeast Asian country which follows Sharia law.
