A young couple in Indonesia's conservative Aceh province have been publicly caned after a Sharia court convicted them of violating Islamic law by kissing during a TikTok livestream. The 22-year-old man and 25-year-old woman were each whipped 21 times with a rattan cane in Bustanussalatin City Park in Banda Aceh on Thursday, in front of at least 100 spectators.
Arrest and sentencing
The couple were arrested in April after a livestream from 27 February, in which they kissed in a car, went viral and prompted reports to local Sharia authorities. The court initially sentenced them to 25 lashes each, but reduced the punishment to 21 because they had already spent four months in prison. The court also seized a mobile phone and a USB flash drive containing the TikTok video as evidence to be destroyed.
Aceh's unique legal status
Aceh is the only province in Muslim-majority Indonesia that enforces a version of Islamic law. The central government granted Aceh the right to implement religious law in 2006 as part of a peace deal to end a separatist war. In 2015, the law was expanded to apply to non-Muslims, who make up about 1% of the province's population. The law allows up to 100 lashes for morality offences including adultery and gay sex, and caning is also used for gambling, drinking, and for women wearing tight clothes or men skipping Friday prayers.
Broader context and criticism
On the same day, four other people were publicly caned for online gambling and adultery. Amnesty International Indonesia condemned the practice, calling it a cruel, inhuman, and degrading human rights violation. Executive director Usman Hamid stated: "Such behaviour might be considered inappropriate because social media is viewed by people of various age groups, including children. But is it a crime that warrants imprisonment or even caning? That would be excessive."
