Indonesian Policy to Bans Sex Outside of Marriage May Deter Tourists

JAKARTADAILY.ID – The Indonesian Parliament has passed a new criminal code that bans sex outside of marriage.

According to travelweekly, while these laws will not come into effect for three years, local businesses have warned they are likely to deter tourists.

Simon Butt, professor, and director of the Center for Asian and Pacific law at the University of Sydney’s law school told ABC News the laws will apply to tourists.

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However, Butt said police will not be able to investigate these crimes without a complaint and those caught engaging in pre-marital sex can only be reported by a spouse, parents, or their children.

“It is unlikely, in practice, to affect tourists traveling to Indonesia, provided that no such complaints are made to Indonesian police,” Butt said.

As previously reported, Indonesia recently introduced a new criminal code that bans extra marital sex, which could see offenders jailed for up to a year.

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The new criminal code also bans cohabitation between unmarried couples, insulting the president or state institutions, spreading views that counter state ideology, protesting without notification, and black magic.

According to Indonesian MP Taufik Basari, de facto couples will not be affected by the law. Only foreigners who have sex with a local person, married or unmarried will be affected.

Even then, the foreigner would need to be reported by an immediate relative.

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A spokesperson for Indonesia’s justice ministry told WAToday.com that Australian tourists “shouldn’t be worried” about the new laws, as there is less risk for tourists despite the laws also applying to them.

However, Andreas Harsono, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch told ABC News Aussie tourists need to be wary.