Gay sex could be punishable by 100 lashes of the cane in Indonesia’s staunchly conservative Aceh province if parliament passes a draft law that critics say violates basic human rights.
Aceh is the only part of the world’s biggest Muslim-majority nation to enforce Islamic sharia law and has been slowly implementing it since 2001, when it gained some powers of autonomy.
A draft bylaw sent to AFP on Saturday outlaws anal sex between men and “the rubbing of body parts between women for stimulation,” and for the first time applies Islamic laws and punishments to non-Muslims.
The bye-law also punishes adultery with 100 lashes of the cane.
The bye-law reinforces previous sharia legislation that bans alcohol consumption, gambling, fraternising between unmarried men and women, and physical displays of affection outside of marriage, such as touching and kissing.
Canings in Aceh are often carried out with a long thin rattan stick and are aimed at humiliating, rather than causing pain. The bylaw allows for fines paid in gold or jail time as an alternative to the lashes.
