• A politician who worked on the draft, Bambang Wuryanto, said that the code could be passed as soon as next week.
• If the law is passed, it would apply to both Indonesians and people from other countries.
• Adultery can only be punished if someone files a complaint with the authorities.

This month, Indonesia’s parliament is likely to pass a new law that will make it a crime to have sex outside of a marriage. Violators could spend up to a year in jail.

A politician who worked on the draught, Bambang Wuryanto, said that the code could be passed as soon as next week.

If the law is passed, it would apply to both Indonesians and people from other countries.

Adultery can only be punished if someone files a complaint with the authorities.

For married people, the person who can file a complaint is the offender’s husband or wife.

Parents of people who are not married can also report them for having sex.

Living together before getting married will also be against the law, and those who do it could get six months in prison.

Reuters says that business groups are worried about how the new rules might hurt Indonesia’s reputation as a place to visit and invest.

Shinta Widjaja Sukamdani, the vice chairperson of Indonesia’s Employers’ Association (APINDO), said, “The implementation of this customary law will cause legal uncertainty in the business sector and make investors think twice about investing in Indonesia.”

The last draught of the code was supposed to be passed in 2019, but it caused protests all over the country, with tens of thousands of people taking part.

Many people, including students, went out into the streets in cities all over Indonesia. The main fights happened in the capital, Jakarta, where there were the most people.

Police used tear gas and water cannons to stop protesters who were throwing stones at them.
In parts of Indonesia where most people are Muslim, such strict rules about sex and relationships are not new.

People have been punished for gambling, drinking alcohol, and meeting people of the opposite sex in the province of Aceh, where Islamic law is very strict.

In 2021, neighbours told the police about two men who were having sex. In a public caning, a police officer hit each of them with 77 belts.

On the same day, a woman and a man got 20 lashes each for being too close to each other, and two men got 40 lashes each for drinking.

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