THREE “canoodling” couples were cruelly whipped in a humiliating public punishment in Indonesia for violating local Sharia law.

After the backs of the six men and women had been flogged more than 20 times each, some collapsed, bleeding, crying with severe pain and had to be carried off stage, say reports.

9 A woman is whipped in public by a member of the Sharia police in Banda Aceh on September 19 Credit: AFP or licensors

9 Wincing in pain, she had to be helped off stage in the park Credit: AFP or licensors

The couples were punished in Banda Aceh for showing affection in public and their whipping – using a rattan cane – came after they’d already been jailed for several months, according to Gulf News.

They were beaten by a masked officer for behaving “amorously”.

Merdeka reports that the “Islamic Sharia violators” were whipped at Bustanus Salatin Park “in the middle of the city”, near the town hall.

The publication said that not many residents attended the punishment, but students from Malaysia, studying at the Ar-Raniry State Islamic University, witnessed the distressing beating.

Wincing with pain, some collapsed after the caning, while one man was so badly injured that paramedics tried to stretcher him off the stage, but he refused, and was instead carried down by cops.

The Mayor of Banda Aceh, Animulla Usman, said the aim of flogging the couples in public was to “make them repent”.

9 One of three men was led on to the stage, as a crowd gathers Credit: AFP or licensors

9 Their horrendous punishment was carried out in Bustanus Salatin Park Credit: AFP or licensors

KIDS BANNED

He said carrying out the whipping in the middle of a park, on a stage, was not to encourage people “to laugh at the perpetrators, but to serve as a lesson to us all”.

Usman said that none of the couples were local residents, but had violated strict Shariah laws while in the city of Banda Aceh.

The Indonesian province routinely flogs gamblers, adulterers and homosexuals.

Usman told children they were banned from watching the punishment, as it could affect their “psychological development”.

Amnesty International says that caning is an “inhman and degrading form of punishment that may amount to torture which should never be used in any circumstances.

“The Aceh authorities’ decision to cane unmarried couples and sex workers, in front of hundreds of spectators, is an act of utmost cruelty.”

9 People watch and take photos as one of three women were flogged more than 20 times whipped in public Credit: AFP or licensors

9 A stretcher was brought on stage after one 'violator' was too injured to walk Credit: EPA

9 Sharia Police escort a woman before she is flogged in public for being 'amorous' in public Credit: EPA

The charity said that between January and April last year, a total of 47 people were flogged in public, “and the list is only getting longer.

“The provincial administration of Aceh must immediately remove this abhorrent form of punishment from its law books.

“It is also high time for the international community to press Indonesia to provide a safer environment for everyone in Aceh.

“The situation risks deteriorating rapidly unless the local administration is pushed to take its obligations to respect human rights seriously.”

The Times says that about 90 per cent of Indonesia's 250 million people are Muslims, making it the largest Islamic population in the world.

But, it has long taken an inclusive and tolerant line.

Over the past two decades, though, more conservative rules have been established, and in ultra-conservative Aceh, Sharia is enforced by dedicated police, and offences are punishable by public flogging and prison sentences.

Earlier this year, teenage sweethearts were brutally caned in front of a baying crowd, just because they were caught cuddling.

What is Sharia law? Sharia law is a set of religious principles which aim to help Muslims understand how to lead their daily lives as part of Islamic tradition. The legal system of Islam, it was derived from both the Koran - the central religious text of Islam - and fatwas - the rulings of Islamic scholars. The Arabic word Sharia originally meant "way" or "path" and refers to the revealed law of God. It informs every aspect of the daily life of a Muslim, covering much more than Western laws do, and don't necessarily refer to "law" in the usual sense. There are two main branches of Sharia - ibadat, which means rituals or acts of worship, and mu'amalat, meaning human interactions and social relations. These break down into smaller branches which include things like finances, marriage, diet, prayers, fasting and pilgrimage.

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9 A man is caned in public for having sex outside of marriage in Banda Aceh, Indonesia Credit: EPA