Indonesia's Aceh Province Publicly Canes Two Men for Same-Sex Relationship

 Indonesia's Aceh Province Publicly Canes Two Men for Same-Sex Relationship

On February 27, 2025, two young men in Aceh province, Indonesia, were publicly caned after being convicted of engaging in a same-sex relationship. The punishment, which was carried out in front of a crowd, has sparked criticism from human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, calling for an end to the practice.

Public Caning Under Sharia Law

Aceh, Indonesia’s only province that implements Sharia law, criminalizes homosexuality and allows for public caning as a form of punishment. The two men, aged 18 and 24, were university students who were convicted of having a same-sex sexual relationship. They were publicly flogged at a regional government hall by hooded religious police officers, while dozens of witnesses, including family members, watched the event unfold.

One of the men was subjected to 77 lashes, while the other received 82 lashes for allegedly providing a space for their sexual activities. According to Roslina A Djalil, the head of Sharia law enforcement in Aceh, the punishment followed the discovery of their relationship, and they had been handed over to the police by local residents.

Amnesty International’s Response

Amnesty International has condemned the flogging, labeling it a “horrifying act of discrimination.” Montse Ferrer, a deputy regional director at Amnesty, emphasized that intimate sexual relationships between consenting adults should never be criminalized and called on the Indonesian government to revoke the laws that allow for such punishments.

In addition to the two men caned for the same-sex relationship, two others were also caned on the same day for offenses related to online gambling. According to Amnesty, the laws in Aceh provide for up to 200 lashes for crimes such as sex outside of marriage, gambling, or the consumption and sale of alcohol.

Continuing Controversy Over Sharia Law

Despite growing international criticism, the practice of public caning continues in Aceh. This year alone, 15 people have been sentenced to flogging for various offenses, while a total of 135 people received similar punishment in 2024.

The use of public caning in Aceh highlights the region’s strict interpretation of Islamic law, which stands in stark contrast to the national legal framework of Indonesia, a country with a Muslim-majority population. The tension between human rights advocates and local authorities continues to rise as calls for an end to such punishments grow louder.