Indonesia attempts to hide gay floggings
Image: A man being publicly caned for gay sex in Indonesia in 2017.
LEADERS in Indonesia’s Aceh province are reportedly attempting to cover up corporal punishment of gay men.
Canings and floggings of men for gay sex are still occurring, but in private rather than in front of crowds, SBS Sexuality has reported.
After the high-profile caning of two men in front of a cheering crowd in May, leaders have decided to carry out such punishments privately to avoid the media.
Human Rights Watch has called on Aceh governor Irwandi Yusuf to stop the practice.
“But now Irwandi, recently elected governor for a second time, seems to be trying to gloss over a barbaric violation of basic rights,” said Human Rights Watch in a statement.
“The government should be abolishing this brutal punishment and the abusive laws that allow it, not whitewashing flogging to mollify squeamish investors.”
Gay sex is ostensibly legal throughout Indonesia, with the exception of Aceh.
In May, over one hundred men were arrested at a sauna in Jakarta over a “gay sex party”.
Why does our government continue foreign aid to states which continue to abuse people for being gay or lesbian without protesting direclty on these human rights abuses.