Indonesia: Laws Prohibiting S*x Outside Of Marriage Won’t Be Applied To Tourists

Fearing that the new laws prohibiting s*x outside of marriage will ruin their tourism sector, Indonesia says travelers will not be arrested under the new legislation.

The Southeast Asian nation’s parliament enacted legislation this week authorizing imprisonment terms of up to a year for those found engaging in extramarital relations, while cohabitation by unmarried couples is also punishable by six months in jail.

According to officials, the law intends to protect “Indonesian values” in the biggest Muslim-majority country in the world. Businesses have expressed concerns about the new regulation, stating that it could hurt Indonesian tourism, which saw more than 16 million visitors in 2019.

On December 12, Indonesian authorities appeared to retract in an effort to allay tourism concerns. Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej, Deputy Law and Human Rights Minister, rejected the worries by claiming that the new law will not result in the prosecution of foreigners.

‘I want to emphasize for foreign tourists, please come to Indonesia because you will not be charged with this article,’ Hiariej told reporters.

He said extra-marital sex and cohabitation offenses would only be prosecuted if a spouse, parent, or child reported it, while adultery had already been illegal for years under the previous criminal code.

In the holiday hotspot of Bali, Governor Wayan Koster also tried to allay fears about the law, saying local authorities would not check the marital status of tourists.

He said in a statement that Bali would not make any ‘policy changes related to the new criminal code. Bali is Bali as usual, which is comfortable and safe to be visited,’ Koster said.

‘There will be no checks on marital status upon check-in at any tourism accommodation… nor inspections by public officials or community groups.’

In addition, Wayan refuted what he called “false” allegations of flight and hotel cancellations, noting that information from airlines, travel agencies, and tour companies showed an increase in the number of people planning to travel to Bali between December 2022 and March 2023.