Indonesia: Caning of Gay Men Dubbed “Act of Cruelty”

Amnesty International has condemned the brutal public caning of two men in Indonesia for engaging in consensual same-sex relations, calling it an act of “state-sanctioned discrimination and cruelty.”

On 26 August, two men, aged 20 and 21, were flogged 76 times each in public in Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh province.

A panel of judges at the Banda Aceh Sharia Court found them guilty of violating the Islamic Criminal Code, which prohibits consensual same-sex relations.

While homosexuality is not explicitly illegal in most of Indonesia, Aceh province enforces strict Islamic Sharia law.

These laws impose harsh punishments on Muslims, including public flogging and fines for same-sex relations, as well as for other so-called “offences” such as failing to wear a hijab, gambling, drinking alcohol, and engaging in extramarital sex.

Police arrested the men on 16 June after they allegedly engaged in sexual activity in a public restroom at Taman Sari Park.

The defendants, identified as QH and RA, were held in custody throughout the judicial proceedings, which took place behind closed doors.

Amnesty International condemns punishment

“This public flogging of two young men under Aceh’s Islamic Criminal Code for consensual sex is a disturbing act of state-sanctioned discrimination and cruelty. This punishment is a horrifying reminder of the institutionalised stigma and abuse faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in Aceh,” said Amnesty International’s Regional Research Director, Montse Ferrer.

“Intimate relationships between consenting adults should never be criminalised. Punishments such as flogging are cruel, inhuman and degrading and may amount to torture under international law,” she added.

Amnesty urged the Indonesian authorities to end such degrading practices and repeal discriminatory bylaws that allow human rights violations. The organisation stressed that Aceh’s regional autonomy cannot justify undermining human rights.

“Indonesia, as a member of the UN Human Rights Council and a state party to the Convention Against Torture, must align its laws – including in Aceh – with its constitutional commitments to equality and non-discrimination. The criminalisation of same-sex conduct and corporal punishment has no place in a just and humane society,” said Ferrer.

Ongoing discrimination in Indonesia

Beyond Aceh’s harsh Sharia laws, LGBTQ+ people across Indonesia continue to face widespread discrimination, harassment, and arrest.

Authorities often use anti-pornography laws to target LGBTQ+ communities, while morality police frequently raid private homes and businesses.