Indonesia summons UN representatives over criticism
2022.12.12 07:32
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Indonesia summons UN representatives over criticism
Budrigannews.com – According to a statement made by Indonesia’s foreign ministry, the United Nations expressed concerns regarding threats to civil liberties posed by the recently ratified revisions to its criminal code and requested that the country summon a UN official on Monday.
Last week, Indonesia’s parliament approved a controversial revision to the country’s criminal code that includes prohibitions against sex outside of marriage and cohabitation between unmarried couples. Its stated objective is to uphold “Indonesian values” in the nation with the largest Muslim population in the world.
The United Nations said that the new laws could make it harder for the world’s third-largest democracy to protect human rights, press freedom, and privacy.
A spokesperson for the foreign ministry, Teuku Faizasyah, stated that the comment prompted the ministry to summon the U.N. resident coordinator in Jakarta. He also stated that the organization ought to have conferred with the government prior to expressing its reservations.
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“Like other international representatives, they should have come to consult. “We hope they do not express their views too quickly or when there is insufficient information,” he stated.
A request for clarification was sent to the U.N. official Valerie Julliand, but she did not immediately respond.
Tourism organizations have expressed concern that the new laws, particularly those pertaining to sex outside of marriage or cohabitation, may deter tourists from its shores. The government has rushed to allay those concerns.
Indonesia’s deputy justice minister, Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej, told reporters on Monday that as long as authorities adhere to national guidelines, the code “does not disturb” the interests of foreign investors or tourists. He added that the government would spend the next three years ensuring compliance.
In a statement on Sunday, Indonesia’s governor of Bali, I Wayan Koster, said that the new laws, which will go into effect in three years, could only be applied if a parent, spouse, or child complained.
Wayan stated that the government of Bali would make certain that “there will be no checking on marital status upon check-in at any tourism accommodation, such as hotels, villas, apartments, guest houses, lodges, and spas.”
Maulana Yusran, deputy chief of Indonesia’s tourism industry board, stated last week that the new code is “totally counter-productive” at a time when the economy and tourism were beginning to recover from the pandemic.
Senior Indonesian Human Rights Watch researcher Andreas Harsono stated last week that the code “contains oppressive and vague provisions that open the door to invasions of privacy and selective enforcement that will enable the police to extort bribes, lawmakers to harass political opponents, and officials to jail ordinary bloggers.” Harsono was referring to the provisions that “open the door to invasions of privacy and selective enforcement.”
