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Indonesia’s New Sex Outside of Marriage Law’s

Lifestyle

Indonesia’s New Sex Outside of Marriage Law’s

Directed toward Indonesian nationals to protect the institution of marriage

In December 2022 Indonesia passed a bill updating its Criminal Code (RKUJP) which includes legislation affecting the Indonesian sanctity of marriage whereby Indonesian nationals would be punished for adultery. For clarity, only direct members of the family can report a adulterous affair to the police, thereby removing any public accusations and halting random arrests. The Minister for Law and Justice has clarified that this will not affect tourists visiting Bali, and, the Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, has also released a statement that foreign tourists will not be affected by this law, nor will anyone’s marital status be scrutinized upon check-in.

Law will not take effect for 3 years

Although Indonesia is a Muslim-majority country, plenty of other religions are practiced including Hinduism and Christianity. Leading up to elections, often hard-line Islamic proposals are deemed acceptable to win over those parties’ support, which laws are then alleviated by other moderate parties, who feel that strict laws should not apply to the whole country, especially those provinces with high tourism dependencies such as Bali and others seeking foreign investment. Thus similar legislation was set to be passed in 2019, but due to massive nationwide protests, this law was postponed, now much of the same but this time it has attracted global attention. The Minister of Law has stated that there are plenty of regulations that still need to be worked out, so, if the update is enacted into law and signed off by the President of Indonesia, this legislation will only come into effect after 3 years, and legislators assure that provincial jurisdictions take precedence.

Conflicting laws for different provinces

In Indonesia, it is important to understand provinces may or may not apply certain laws. The strict Islamic state of Aceh, for example, is governed by Sharia law, where alcohol consumption, adultery, and homosexuality are already outlawed, and of course, this province does not attract many foreign non-Muslim tourists. Bali on the other hand is majority Hindu, welcoming all faiths with no living restrictions, and as such, applies the laws that suit this culture.

LGBTQ is not illegal in Bali, but it is illegal in many other provinces of Indonesia. 

Bali is a great example of how relaxed an Indonesian province can be, due mostly because it is predominantly Hindu, and, as most visitors to this Island of the Gods attest, the people are incredibly welcoming, and do not live such a confining life compared to many a neighbor. For this reason, much of the LGBTQ community in Indonesia has found refuge here, where its practices are severally frowned upon throughout the rest of the Indonesia archipelago. Same-sex marriage is illegal in Indonesia, yet, for many decades, Bali has been a safe destination for gay couples to fulfill their wedding vows. On a different tack, most of the strict Muslim provinces prohibit the sale of alcohol, unlike Bali, where Bintang and pork ribs are standard fare. The Balinese are likely to have a fundamental problem if beer and bacon were removed from their diet, as is likely too if these newly repellent living conditions are actively enforced.

Villa versus Hotel

A key difference between a villa and hotel accommodation is privacy. Guests residing in a hotel are in the public eye outside their bedroom, while guests staying in a villa, whether in the pool, gardens, or just relaxing on the villa grounds, do so in luxurious seclusion.

We guarantee no issues for our guests visiting Bali 

At Bali Realty Holiday Villas, guests’ privacy and security are of paramount importance, and we assure our visitors that these laws do not apply to them. Furthermore, guests sleeping arrangements would never be discussed, nor would their confidential arrangements be shared with anyone. Our in-villa staff are a delight, constantly reviewed by guests with love and affection, who return regularly just to see these lovely people. They too would never share discreet details of our guests.

Sensationalist media reporting

Most foreign residents living in Bali laugh at the outrageous news that constantly targets Bali, so often for the wrong reasons: remember the recent scare that alcohol consumption was going to be banned in Bali? The outrage was colossal, and of course, it never materialized.

19 December 2022


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