Consenting adults living together is not a crime – Indonesian activists
Ruth Panjaitan THE JAKARTA POST Sat, September 5, 2020
What women want: Activists from a variety of civil society groups rally outside the House of Representatives on Sept. 19, 2019 to reject a proposed revision of the Criminal Code, which they said would pave the way for the criminalization of women. (JP/Anggie Angela)
JAKARTA – Amid the COVID-19 outbreak in Indonesia, the House Representatives and the Law and Human Rights Ministry have continued their deliberation of the controversial Criminal Code revision as a priority bill.
The International Commission of Jurists has previously expressed concern that a number of provisions in the bill are inconsistent with Indonesia’s obligations under international human rights law.
These provisions relate to the right to privacy, freedom of speech and freedom of association.
There are provisions in the draft that would have dire consequences for women’s rights in Indonesia.
For instance, if implemented in its current form, the bill would explicitly criminalize cohabitation or the act of two consenting adults living together as heterosexual sexual partners outside of a legal marriage. Persons found guilty of cohabitation would risk up to six months of imprisonment.
THE JAKARTA POST, INDONESIA Sat, September 5, 2020
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