Amnesty International on Tuesday condemned the public caning of two men in Indonesia’s Aceh province after they were convicted of same-sex relations under Islamic criminal law.
Aceh, located on the northern tip of Sumatra island, is Indonesia’s only province that criminalizes consensual same-sex acts. Under its special autonomy status, Aceh enforces qanun jinayat, Islamic criminal bylaws introduced in 2015 that criminalize adultery, gambling, alcohol consumption, and same-sex relations, with punishments including up to 200 lashes.
Aceh, located on the northern tip of Sumatra island, is Indonesia’s only province with special autonomy to enforce qanun jinayat, a set of bylaws introduced in 2015 that criminalize acts such as adultery, gambling, alcohol consumption, and same-sex relations, prescribing punishments including lashes.
The men, aged 20 and 21, were publicly flogged 76 times each after the local Sharia court found them guilty of engaging in consensual same-sex activity. Spectators reportedly watched on, with some recording the abuse as it was carried out in Banda Aceh.
Montse Ferrer, Amnesty International Regional Research Director, criticized the flogging, stating:
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 institutionalized stigma and abuse faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in Aceh.
Amnesty has repeatedly urged Indonesia to repeal these laws, arguing they contravene the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN Convention Against Torture, both of which Indonesia has ratified. The UN Human Rights Committee has previously called on the government to prohibit corporal punishment and protect LGBTQ+ persons from discrimination.
Despite international criticism, Aceh authorities maintain that the qanun jinayat reflects local customs and Islamic values. The central government in Jakarta has historically deferred to Aceh’s autonomy arrangements, though rights groups argue this undermines Indonesia’s constitutional commitment to equality and non-discrimination. Tuesday’s flogging underscores ongoing tensions between Indonesia’s decentralized legal system and its international human rights commitments.
Amnesty has called on the government to immediately halt the practice of public caning and decriminalize consensual same-sex relations nationwide.
Such incidents are not novel in Aceh. The province has carried out public canings for same-sex relations and other morality offenses since implementing the Islamic criminal laws in 2015. Human rights organizations have repeatedly condemned the practice.