In Indonesia, a recently implemented law states that sex outside of marriage is punishable with a jail sentence of up to one year for both citizens and travelers.
Indonesia Passes Law Banning Sex Outside Of Marriage-People Caught Could Get A Year In Jail
Unmarried couples will not be allowed to cohabitate and anyone who does so will face a jail sentence of half a year. Additionally, adultery will be a crime and a person can only be charged if the accusation is made by their partner, parents, or offspring.
In addition, the new law will make it illegal to advertise contraception and insult religions. Moreover, abortion will be regarded as a criminal act, other than in the cases of pregnant women in life-threatening situations and those who have been raped.
Nevertheless, these laws could impact the country for the following reasons. First of all, the ban on unmarried couples living together or engaging in any sexual activity may decrease the number of tourists that actually visit the country.
And in the process of doing so, this may have an economic impact on the number of people using hotels. Secondly, there is always going to be a case where tourists are not aware or end up being misinformed over what they can or cannot do. And that could lead to high profile cases where people are punished for simply being unaware.
The response on social media was very clear. A significant proportion of people felt that this would impact the country’s economy, detracting people from visiting. Meanwhile, others felt that this was a severe intervention on what people could do within their private lives.
One person wrote: “Against privacy, choice and mutual consent of fundamental rights,” while another person stated: “That just killed Bali’s tourism.” Time will tell what repercussions the new laws will have, but based on the perception that we have seen so far, things are not looking very good when it comes to tourism.
So there you have it folks. What did you think about this? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. If you liked reading this article, then check out our other features on the Daily Soap Dish. Please also visit The Over Timer for all of the latest exciting news on all of your favorite daytime.
