International Desk: The Indonesian Parliament has passed a criminal law prohibiting extramarital sex. The law was passed on Tuesday, the BBC reported. But the new law won’t take effect for another three years. It is expected to face challenges in court.
The new law will also apply to foreign tourists visiting the Indonesian tourist hub of Bali. The law provides for imprisonment of up to one year for unmarried sex. Besides, they are forbidden to live together. Unmarried men and women living together can be jailed for up to six months.
Law and Human Rights Minister Yassona Lawley told parliament ahead of the vote, “We have tried our best to resolve important issues and differing opinions.” However, the time has come to take a historic decision to reform our penal code and abandon the colonial criminal code we inherited.’
