On December 15, it is expected to be adopted in Indonesia the new criminal code, which will punish, among other things, a year in prison for anyone who has sexual relations and is not married. “We are proud to have a criminal code that is consistent with Indonesian values,” said the country’s deputy justice minister Edward Omar Sharif Hiariez.
According to the new criminal code, it will be forbidden for someone to insult the president and state institutions of Indonesia, as well as to express opinions contrary to the state ideology.
As long as the new one is approved Penal Code it will apply to both Indonesians and foreigners in the country. Some businesses have expressed concern about the negative impact it could have on Indonesia’s image as a tourist and investment destination.
The draft of the new criminal code has the support of some Islamic groups, in a country where conservatism is on the rise, but his critics charge that he is reversing the liberal reforms adopted after the 1998 fall of Indonesia’s authoritarian leader Suharto.
A previous draft of the penal code was supposed to be adopted in 2019, but this was not done after protests broke out across the country. At the time tens of thousands of people had taken to the streets protesting various articles of the code, mainly the laws dealing with morality and freedom of speech, complaining that they were encroaching on civil liberties.
Critics of the new criminal code say there have been very few changes compared to the 2019 draft. Some of the changes include changing the death penalty to life after ten years of good behavior. However, the provisions for the criminalization of abortion, even in cases of rape, and prison sentences for black magic remain.
What does it predict?
According to the most recent draft, dated November 24, sexual relations except marriage – an offense that can be reported by certain people, mainly relatives of the couple – are punishable by up to one year in prison.
The president’s insultan offense that can only be reported by the president himself, carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison.
In Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country, there are various rules at the local level that discriminate against women, religious minorities and the LGBTI community.
A few weeks after the country hosted the G20 summit, representatives of the business sector estimate that the new criminal code will send the wrong message for the largest economy in Southeast Asia, reports APE-MPE, citing Reuters.
“For the business sector the implementation of this customary law will create legal uncertainty and make investors reconsider their intention to invest in Indonesia,” said Sinda Uinjaja Sukamdani, vice president of the Indonesian Employers Association. The changes to the criminal code will be a “major setback for democracy in Indonesia,” complained Andreas Harsono of Human Rights Watch.
Source: News Beast
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