New criminal laws have been proposed in Indonesia, and means that citizens and tourists may face jail time or receive fines for engaging in pre-marital sex. The densely populated Islamic country believes that they must protect their citizens from behavior that ‘contradicts God’s word’.

If passed, the law states that sex may not take place outside of marriage which includes same-sex couples. It will also prohibit couples from living together before marriage and adultery will also become a criminal offense. The criminal code also includes jail time for women who have an abortion. The only time abortion is deemed permissible is if there was a medical emergency or the pregnant woman has been raped. Fines will be given to those promoting contraception to minors.

Parents, a child or a spouse can inform officials of the criminal offense. Jail time may range from six months to one year.

Blasphemy laws will also be tightened and insulting the president or vice president will be criminalised.

Same-sex marriage is not recognised in Indonesia. This means that the LGBTQIA+ community would be heavily affected if the law is passed. Even though homosexuality is not illegal in Indonesia, it is frowned upon. Their law does not protect the LGBTQIA+ community from discrimination and hate crimes.

The proposed criminal code has caused uproar among many. More than 300 000 people have signed a petition urging president Joko Widodo to not pass the law.

Australia has already updated their Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website to warn their citizens about the possibility of the laws being passed. They have warned citizens and possible travelers of the new laws that may be passed.

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