“Our country has legalized fornication, male rape, and homosexual acts. We’ve allowed our constitution to become too liberal—is that what we want?”

Lawsuit Aims To Criminalize Homosexuality In Indonesia “To Protect The Rights Of Children”

In the latest hearing of a lawsuit that began earlier this year, a group of academics and activists implored the Constitutional Court of Indonesia to institute a criminal ban on homosexuality.

The suit, which has already had several hearings since it was filed last February, gained international attention after it was discovered that the group not only sought to criminalize sexual activity between same-sex partners, but also encouraged their supporters to attack LGBT people.

Ulet Ifansasti

At the hearing last Tuesday, the petitioners were allowed to present witnesses in support of their argument that the country is on the verge of a morality crisis and that it is at risk of damaging its core Muslim values by supporting full LGBT equality.

Asrorun Ni’am Sholeh, chairman of the National Child Protection Commission, offered the first testimony. In addition to stating that homosexuality is putting the nation’s children at risk, he also advocated for a minimum five-year prison sentence for any and all homosexual acts.

He argued that such security measures would “strengthen the state’s responsibility to protect the rights of children.”

Hamid Chalid, a constitutional law expert at the University of Jakarta, then stepped up to urge the court to protect the interest of local religious groups and the strong moral values they uphold.

“Our country has legalized fornication, male rape, and homosexual acts,” he remarked. “We’ve allowed our constitution to become too liberal—is that what we want?”

He then referenced the recent spate of violent attacks against members of Indonesia’s LGBT community as “evidence” that homosexuality goes “against the wishes of the people.”

After hearing testimony from the witnesses, the judges posed questions to the group of activists.

“If those values are not articulated in the law, would our country one day become a secular state?” asked Judge Patrialis Akbar.

He added: “Must all laws that are not in according with the morals and religion have to be synchronized with local values so this court…[can be] an institution illuminated by the light of God?”

Suryo Wibowo

Though government lawyers, who oppose the group’s suit, said little during the hearing, at least one attorney spoke to the danger of allowing the government to make such sweeping moral decisions for its people.

“If we do this, the sinner becomes a criminal…and the government becomes authoritarian,” he said.

The petitioners will gather for another hearing on August 30. A day for final judgment has yet to be set.

h/t: BuzzFeed