When we reported that Two Indonesian Men [Were] Found Guilty Of Sodomy. Will Be Publicly Caned, we didn't know what to think about Indonesia. We knew that there had not been many advancements with LGBT rights, but to publicly cane, flog, injure people for having intercourse, this clearly was not any positive advancement.
The fact that the anti-same-sex law with the punishment of caning is still on the books is a little atrocious, but to then carry out the flogging in public, what kind of nation were we dealing with?
The Video [Was] Released Of Indonesian Men Receiving Their Caning / Punishment For Having Intercourse. I had asked others if we should reveal the video on our site. The overwhelming response was that yes, people need to see what is going on in other nations. Reading about it is one thing, but seeing the punishment would resonate longer.
Indonesian authorities in Aceh have figured this out, too. Seeing the international outcry from these most recent floggings, they will put an end to flogging . . . in public. Instead, they’re just going to flog people indoors, away from the cameras.
Under its Sharia bylaws, Aceh caned 339 people last year for offenses ranging from gambling to adultery. The May caning of two gay men, who received 83 lashes each, appears to be Indonesia’s first public caning for homosexuality and sparked considerable international outrage. Flogging as punishment is also recognized under international law as a form of torture, but that doesn’t seem to have deterred Acehnese authorities so far. – hrw.org
But there is now thought that flogging people in public may be bad for business. In order to not upset investors, the Aceh province may reconsider showing the punishment in public.
Meanwhile, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, maintains that Indonesia is a beacon of moderation and tolerance, but has failed to protect the rights of the country’s beleaguered minorities.
Is hiding abuses the same as ending them? Of course not!
We will be watching Aceh, Indonesia to see if they come to their senses. Just because it is out of sight, your old ways are not out of mind.
h/t: hrw.org
The root of the problem is
The root of the problem is fundamentalist religion, in this instance Islam. It is the a tool most frequently used to justify torture and murder of gay people, women, non-religious, etc. When any government uses religion as the ethical basis for treatment of other human beings they are looking for justification for cruelty and murder by a god because that know there is no humane justification.