Aceh is the only province in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, which implements Islamic law, or Sharia. Last year, two gay men who admitted having sex were flogged in Aceh, with each receiving strokes of the cane, drawing heavy criticism from rights groups.
Gay sex is not illegal in the rest of Indonesia, which mainly follows a criminal code inherited from former colonial ruler the Netherlands. The province of Banda Aceh began implementing Sharia law after being granted autonomy in β an attempt by the government in Jakarta to quell a long-running separatist insurgency.
Islamic laws have been strengthened since Aceh struck a peace deal with Jakarta in People are flogged for a range of offences including gambling, drinking alcohol, gay sex or any sexual relationship outside marriage. Jono Simbolon front , an Indonesian Christian, grimaces in pain as he is flogged in front of a crowd outside a mosque in Banda Aceh, Aceh province, on January 19, More than 90 per cent of the million people who live in Indonesia describe themselves as Muslim, but the vast majority practice a moderate form of the faith.
The brutal and public beatings have become more prevalent this year with a number of reported incidents of those being punished collapsing in pain on stage. Back in September , Aceh approved an anti-homosexuality law that can punish anyone caught having gay sex with lashes. After a three-decade-old separatist movement, a peace agreement signed in granted special autonomy to Aceh, at the northern tip of Sumatra, on condition that it remained part of the sprawling archipelago.
As part of that deal, Aceh won the right to be the only Indonesian province to use Islamic sharia law as its legal code. An Acehnese woman was also lashed as part of the public caning on Friday outside a mosque after prayers had finished. Anybody caught engaging in consensual gay sex is punished with lashes, months in jail or a fine of 1, grams of gold. The law also set out punishment for sex crimes, unmarried people engaging in displays of affection, people caught found guilty of adultery and underage sex.
