Indonesia is expected to ratify sweeping changes to its criminal code on Tuesday, senior officials confirmed, in a legal overhaul that critics say could wind back hard-won democratic freedoms and police morality in the Southeast Asian nation.
Among the most controversial revisions to the code are articles that would penalise sex outside of marriage with up to one year in jail, outlaw cohabitation between unmarried couples, insulting the president, and expressing views counter to the national ideology, known as the Pancasila.
The government and House of Representatives have agreed on the draft code, clearing a hurdle to its passage. Parliament had planned to ratify a draft new code in September 2019, but nationwide demonstrations over perceived threats to civil liberties halted its passage.Indonesia's Mt Semeru volcano 'has threatened the people's settlement' raising alert level - agency
Revised articles on sex outside marriage and cohabitation, for example, now state such complaints can only be reported by close relatives such as a spouse, parent or child, while insulting the president can only be reported by the president."This criminal code is a huge setback for Indonesia," said Bivitri Susanti, a law expert from the University of Indonesia.The government's duty is not as an umpire between conservative and liberal Indonesia.
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