On Sunday, Bali Governor Wayan Koster addressed the response and fears the criminal code would hinder the island’s tourism industry.
Tourists would not have their marital status checked at hotels or accommodations when the code came into action in three years, he said.
Koster reiterated that people would only be prosecuted for sex outside of marriage if a parent, spouse or child made a complaint. This provision was added to a stricter draft of the legislation to ensure “everyone’s privacy and comfortableness”, he said.
Travellers should still come to the island, “because Bali is Bali as usual, which is comfortable and safe to be visited” he added.
The governor also called out reports that travellers had cancelled their flights and hotel bookings in response to the laws.
He claimed these “hoax” reports used “misleading statements that would stir up the situation” as data from airlines and travel agents show visitor numbers are set to rise next year.
Locals working in the tourism industry aren’t totally at ease about the situation.
Groups like the Indonesian Hotel & Restaurant Association and Association of The Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies have voiced concern about the law. Meanwhile, Australia, one of Bali’s largest tourist markets, said it was “seeking further clarity” about how people could be impacted.
Foreign governments asked to resist “megaphone diplomacy”
However, Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry has asked governments to keep their questions about the new code out of public discourse.
On Monday, spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said Indonesian representtiives in other countries never interfered with controversial legal regulations, so they should return the favour.
“Our representatives in other countries never meddle in the legal regulations in one country’s national legal system, although controversies emerged among their people,” they said.
“We hope country representatives will not be in a hurry to state their opinions. They can use diplomatic channels to get information.”
Indonesia’s new code
The revised code will replace the 1918 law and means pre-marital sex can be punished with up to a year in jail. An unmarried couple living together could also face six months of imprisonment.
Officials stress that only a parent, child or spouse to the couple can file a police report. However, this still means an expatriate or tourist in a relationship with a local could be reported.
During a Monday press conference, Deputy Minister of Law and Human Rights Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej said it shouldn’t impact tourism if the law is used correctly.
“It should not interfere in [the] public’s life [or for] tourists, business and foreign investment as long as the implementation goes in line with reform of the new criminal law,” he said.
