Why a holiday romance in Indonesia may land you in jail

TOURISTS in Indonesia could be jailed for making love if the hardline Muslim nation criminalises sex outside marriage later this month.

Those convicted would face a year in prison, and the law would apply to Indonesian citizens and foreigners alike. It also plans to ban insulting the president or state institutions and expressing any views counter to Indonesia’s state ideology.

The criminal code is expected to be passed on December 15, said Indonesia’s deputy justice minister Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej. He added: ‘We’re proud to have a criminal code that’s in line with Indonesian values.’

It has the support of Islamic groups, although opponents argue it reverses liberal reforms enacted after the 1998 fall of authoritarian leader Suharto.

A previous draft of the code sparked nationwide protests in 2019, and critics say minimal changes have been made since then. The criminalisation of abortion, with the exception of rape victims, and imprisonment for ‘black magic’ remain.

Andreas Harsono, of Human Rights Watch, said the changes would be a ‘huge setback to Indonesian democracy’.