Indonesia Passes New Criminal Code, Bans Sex Outside of Marriage

Indonesian authorities passed a new criminal code that criminalizes sex outside of marriage, prompting fears that tourists would turn away from the country once again.

The new legislation comes as tourism operators in the country are still trying to recover from the devastating effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The controversial laws, which many critics have called a "disaster" for human rights, also ban unmarried lovers from living together and restrict political and religious freedoms.

Indonesia's New Criminal Code

There were already protests that broke out this week in Jakarta over the new laws and challenges in court are expected to occur. The new criminal codes are set to be implemented in three years- time and will apply to Indonesians and foreigners living in the country, as well as visitors.

The news about the criminalization of sex outside marriage was largely reported in nearby Australia, where some media outlets have dubbed it the "Bali bonk ban." The laws come as Indonesia's economy heavily relies on tourism from Australia, which was the number one tourist source before the COVID-19 pandemic, as per BBC.

Every month, thousands of people fly to the tropical island of Bali to bask in its warm weather, indulge in cheap Bintang beers, and party at all-night beach raves. Furthermore, weddings in Bali are quite frequent, and thousands of Australian graduate students go to the island every year to celebrate their completion of high school.

Many young Australians consider taking a trip to Bali as a rite of passage among their peers while others go to the island several times a year for a quick, cheap getaway. However, when news of the new laws spread after being rumored for years, doubt over the future of Indonesia's tourism industry set in.

According to CNN, the new laws were passed unanimously by Indonesian lawmakers on Tuesday and are part of a tranche of changes in the South East Asian country. On top of banning sex and living together before marriage, the new laws also provide punishments for insulting the country's president or expressing views counter to the national ideology.

Sex Outside of Marriage

Bambang Wuryanto, a lawmaker in Indonesia, said that all have agreed to ratify the draft changes into law. The official led the parliamentary commission in charge of revising the colonial-era code. Wuryanto added that the old code belonged to Dutch heritage and was no longer relevant.

Indonesia, despite being the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, has seen a rise in religious conservatism in recent years. In several parts of the country, officials have already enforced strict Islamic laws, including in the semi-autonomous Aceh province, where alcohol and gambling are now banned.

The new laws have also raised concern among human rights advocates who warned of their potential to stifle personal freedoms. Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly said in a news conference on Tuesday that it was not easy for a multicultural and multi-ethnic country to make a criminal code that "accommodates all interests."

Laoly added that they tried their best to accommodate the important issues and varying opinions that were discussed. Deputy Minister of Law and Human Rights Edward Hiariej said that the new code must still be signed by the president before it can take effect, Aljazeera reported.