A new criminal code is being imposed which will restrict sex before marriage. Doing so would result up to a year in jail if charged. Indonesia has democratic structures, but religion undermines them. The law also places restrictions on cohabitation between unmarried couples . Foreigners visiting or temporarily in Indonesia are not exempt from the criminal code. Women are going to be impacted by this disproportionately. The conservative interpretation of Islam is not compatible with a democratic system. Indonesia is placing more restrictions on its citizens personal freedom. The president or state institutions are not to be vituperated. Protests are now going to have authorized notification before taking place. Expressing views that do not support state ideology could result in punishment. The new criminal codes will go into effect three years. How the law will be enforced and regulated remains uncertain. Indonesia could be falling back into a regime similar to that of Suharto. The awful legacy of the colonial criminal code still haunts the country. Attempts to change it were done in 2019, but failed. The motivation for President Joko Widodo is clear. Upcoming elections are the reason he wanted the bill passed in parliament. Votes can be gained from the more conservative religious constituents and opposition parties can be censored. The law is presented as protecting family values and Islam. What it is designed to do is create a semi-authoritarian regime. Indonesia gradually could be come more theocratic in the coming years. Women, the LGBT, and the tourism industry are going to be negatively impacted. Investments from other nations might be withdrawn from Indonesia. A theocratic regime cannot produce stability or economic progress.
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