Indonesia has proposed a new criminal law that will penalize pre-marital sex and cohabitation between unmarried couples with imprisonment of up to a year, according to government officials.
Some Indonesian lawmakers said the draft criminal code could be passed by the parliament as early as next week. The new law will apply to both local citizens and foreigners if passed.
“We’re proud to have a criminal code that’s in line with Indonesian values,” Deputy Justice Minister Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej told Reuters on Friday.
The draft law underwent some revisions after a previous attempt to pass the law in 2019 sparked nationwide protests. The criminal code has been a contentious issue in Indonesia as many have argued that it would threaten civil rights….