Australians are calling a new law banning premarital sex and cohabitation the “Bali Bonk Ban” and fears are growing that the new law will decimate tourism in Indonesia. The problem for tourism is not so much the law itself as much as the uncertainty it brings.
“Bali Bonk Ban” And The Legal Uncertainty It Brings
Indonesia relies heavily on foreign tourism and after years of pursuing a cautious approach to re-opening due to COVID-19, has now reopened its borders. However, a new threat faces the tourism industry in the form of a controversial new law.
The law itself, at least in its current form, bans unmarried couples from living together and prohibits premarital sex (and also restricts political and religious freedoms). Under the new law, which has been ratified but will not go into effect for three years, unmarried couples caught in a sexual act can be jailed for up to one year. Those found cohabitating while not married could be jailed for up to six months. Indonesia’s Islamic government has steadily moved in the country in a more conservative social direction in the preceding years and the new law is seen as a logical extension of Indonesia’s attempt to remake society into a more conservative one.
There’s a twist to the law, though, that makes it unlikely most tourists have anything to worry about. Rather than morality police going from door to door or being stationed in hotel lobbies, the law requires that a parent, spouse, or child of the offender file the complaint, which will then prompt an investigation. In that sense, it is unlikely that an unmarried Australian couple or other foreign visitors will come under any scrutiny for sharing a bed. Yet the law does not preclude such enforcement action. On the contrary, it explicitly places visitors on notice that they also fall under this new law.
I am of the opinion that cohabitation and premarital sex do not promote human flourishing. But I rather think that such choices should be voluntary rather than mandated by the government. On a fundamental level, I believe that privacy in those intimate areas of life outweighs any collective good that comes through such social engineering. Furthermore, the law leads to tremendous uncertainty, which undermines the sort of assurances inherent in building a tourist-friendly economy.
In terms of tourism, the largest issue is not so much that tourists realistically face prison time or fines for sharing a bed with their unmarried partner, but the possibility that they might; that their actions run afoul of law and selective enforcement could still result in legal jeopardy.
Just as many travelers avoid the Middle East even though Gulf nations rarely enforce their strict laws on sexual matters, so will many now avoid Indonesia.
CONCLUSION
A new Indonesian law addressing sex and cohabitation outside of marriage is now law and will take effect in three years. In almost all intimate areas, the power of persuasion should be the tool of correction rather than the force of government. For the sake of the millions of Indonesians who rely upon tourism for their survival, I hope the unintended consequences of this new law will not be as disastrous as has been predicted.
I applaud you for recognizing that not saving yourself for marriage, adultery, and etc don’t promote human flourishing. Sexual morality is a fundamental tenet of Christianity. Even if we made mistakes ourselves and things can’t be undone, we can always encourage our children to be better and encourage them to pursue a better path. Things were better when our kids didn’t expose themselves on tiktok to get likes and go with 2-100 men or women in their lives because of a twisted culture that promotes it and demeans those who do the right thing.
You are correct that this is a personal and familial issue and government should stay out of our lives in all areas. From things like this to drug laws to a law that would force a website creator in Colorado to make websites for gay marriage against her religion to vaccine mandates, it’s a case of government coercion against individual decision making. Bodily autonomy should apply to everything. Just because 51% in a democracy want something does not make it legitimate nor does it excuse the cops enforcing it. Unknown to people who are misled by those who seek to undermine Christianity, it is a requirement that individuals be free to make choices for their lives so God can judge them. If something is banned, some people won’t do it because of an outside compulsion but not because it is wrong according to God. God wants us to be free to make the choice and see who is worthy of his kingdom.
God and Christianity are a collection of stories made up by humans over time to explain the world and to control others. Just like Islam and the other religions/ belief systems. Ultimately people looks to them to make sense of the world and feel less alone/ less insignificant. But at the end of the day they are means of control and really just made up stories based on historical factors. They’re not real.
Just treat others with kindness, mind your own business, and try to be productive.
Well said
Religion is a packet of culture by which cultural values and other knowledge are relayed across generations.
And given our species is chock full of individuals who are of the “me, myself and I first” mentality that at times harms others:
religion and the like — and that includes even laws and regulations put forth by elected governments in liberal representative democracies of various sorts — act both as checks on the freedom of individuals (which may be considered by some to be harmful to society) and as a way of guiding and informing people from one generation to the next.
Religion is actually no more coercive than supposedly secular governments — actually religion may even be less coercive as evidenced by both: how much meddling in personal/family lives the administrative state can do in a country whether it’s a country ruled democratically or autocratically; and that the state maintains a monopoly on the authorization and use of “permissible” violence.
Wise words that I can only but commend. I am not a Christian, I am an atheist and I don’t give a damn about what Christians want to dictate to me in terms of what is moral or not. What is shocking to me is that Matthew Klint believes there can be even a good behind that social engineering. And the fact that he concludes that privacy should prevail doesn’t make him less of a bigot for thinking that premarital sex or cohabitation does nor lead to human flourishing.
Bigot. Wow.
Don’t worry. Your rights are protected by the fundamentalist majority on the Supreme Court.
Time to formulate your own opinion, Joe vs parrot what the glowing idiot box and entertainers on CNN tell you to say.
Take a civics class, it might teach how laws of our Constitutional Republic*actually* operate. I took one in high school.
I am of the opinion that cohabitation and premarital sex DO PROMOTE human flourishing. People should know that they are compatible in all aspects BEFORE they commit to a lifelong relationship. And just because people do cohabitate and have premarital sex – does NOT mean they have loose morals nor is it a gateway to posing half naked on TikTok. People are perfectly capable of cohabitation and premarital sex, while at the same time being an upright, respectabl, productive member of society WHO FLOURISH.
And while we’re at it, let me also say I am totally in support of bodily autonomy – it’s why women should have the right to choose. Their body, their choice.
Well said David H. Religion is a scourge that exists only to control people for purposes of economic and governmental hegemony of those with power.
Humans engage in sex primarily for recreation by nature. Procreation is a byproduct of this, not the other way around. So called “traditional” tropes against such only exist to stifle society and primarily to perpetuate patriarchal and parochial power.
David H, let me guess – that free spirit does not apply to vaccines.
Think you deadbeats need to chill out for a bit. go smoke some weed, jerk off, chill….
Wonder what Jihn thinks about vaccines and abortion
Irresponsible journalism. As usual Australian media dramatizing and twisting the facts. I live in Bali. Check your facts
I’m keen to know which other countries have similar (or more draconian) laws and the effect of those laws on tourism. I recall some years ago reading that Malaysian morality police would regularly raid hotel rooms looking for unmarried couples. What about the UAE?
Having lived in the UAE, I can tell you that they dont do that. They dont barge into houses or hotels looking for people breaking the law. Generally, what goes on behind closed doors there isnt meddled with.
The UAE has laws against prostitution — laws far more punitive than the what Indonesia is doing — but Dubai in particular is a den of global prostitution like no other. It selectively enforces its rules, but it also is far more likely to torture — even rape/sodomize — any given foreign detainee than Indonesia is likely to do.
None of anybodies f-ing business
These laws are shiny, scare people & further stigmatism. The reality is that while technically tourists fall under these laws, they’re not inforced in regards to said tourists. Aech province in Sumatra already “officially” follows Sharia laws but serves alcohol to tourists & allows female tourists to wear whatever they want in non-religious locatons – as opposed to many other places that follow Sharia. In fact, there’s freedom of religion within Aech as there are sizable Christian & Hindu communities within its borders. This is just another lipstick law to Garner votes & goes unenforced in most of the country & certainly anywhere a tourist will be. Everyone can quit clutching their pearls & put their Bibles back on their shelves.
Still better than the days of that POS Ahok. My wife and I had a celebration when he went to prison as he was ruining Java
So let’s see. Your relative can go to Indonesia and report you. Your Indonesian local, possibly one-time, partner can have a relative report you…
That’s what I was thinking. What happens if you sleep with a local and their relative reports you. Or blackmails you?
Dubai has similar laws and IIRC it’s not a major deterrent. I guess we wait and see, but this may not be a big deal for tourists.
The UAE’s prohibition— more often ignored than upheld — against extramarital intimate relations is set up to make more visitors subject to prosecution than appears set to be the case with the Indonesian law. In the UAE, a report of violation of rules against extramarital relationships need not be coming from a parent, spouse or child of the “suspect”; in Indonesia under the federal republic’s code, the report requires a close relative to complain.
This is the focus of parliament and the government in a piss poor country where you find locals scavenging in garbage dumps for food. This pinpoints what is wrong with every government on Earth, not focusing on what’s important and debating nonsense issues that have nothing to do with the country.
You’re so right.
Governments should stick to focusing on what’s really important in the lives of citizens everywhere, as we do here in the good ole USA – like whether it’s better to be a vampire or a werewolf.
No government has the right to stick its’ nose into people’s bedrooms and involve itself in what happens between consenting adults in private.
So Bali will have fewer Australian visitors coming to cut loose and have some fun. You say that as if it were a bad thing.
Based on my experiences in Bali, having fewer Aussies coming to party and rave would improve the place substantially.
I do see your point, but Kuta aside …
Aussies spend money which is what is needed in that economy more than anything else.
I remember two years ago, the deluded governor of Bali saying the island needed to shed its dependency on tourism. Nothing offered as the economic replacement … fishing? Nonsense government, like so many other.
Indonesia’s extractive industries and domestic consumers are far more powerful economic forces in Indonesia than foreign tourists to the country. And has long been evidenced, tourists from higher per capita income countries will go to where the weather is better — even when it’s a Franco in Spain, an autocratic monarchy in the Middle East, or a Thai monarchy-backed junta running the show.
And you “could” get in trouble for ripping a mushroom shake on Gili T and tripping balls, but you absolutely will not get in trouble. The passage of this law is absolutely meaningless.
Maybe. Maybe not. Any personal negative interaction could put the tourist in an awkward position. Most likely it will be resolved with “a fine” for tourons . But meanwhile I’ve elderly friends who have a vacation place there. Both widowed and not married. Let’s imagine they fire or otherwise discipline the help. Again you’re in an awkward position. Definitely a disadvantage. And remember they’re still stoning people up north ( however inside after 2017) as the human rights optics were bad.
After just coming back from Bali the Indonesian Government is looking to other countries rather than Australian tourist for the $ now, they are seeking rich foreigners from Europe & Asia this is yet another law change after the recent one for retiree’s has changed. Watch out all you fella’s on boy trips maybe your wives may don you in and you will enjoy a years holiday in Kerobokan.
I am of the opinion that u are a sexist pig. You DO NOT get to tell womyn what to do with our bodies. Oink oink, piggy
Australia just needs to offer temporary marriage licenses with expirations to any couples flying to Indonesia… problem solved! 😉
Such a shame it hasn’t been adopted in the West and is only available to faithfull Muslims. Other vice I’m sure every Indonesian airport would loke like a Las Vegas wedding Chapel (for a modest price of course).
This is good news for corrupt policemen. They are going to have a field day with tourists.
The American liberal needs to mind its own business and not tell other countries how to run their internal affairs
The extramarital sex and cohabitation penalties from this new Indonesian law replacing the colonial Dutch code are not due to come into force until something like three years from now. And they seem to be only applicable to persons who are subject to a report from their own parent, child or spouse.
There are other aspects of the law whose suppression of freedom of speech and expression are more dire than the “pro-family” virtue signaling represented by the targeting of extramarital sex and cohabitation also included in the law.
Much ado about nothing. Hotels here don’t and won’t care, and the media will promote this scare tactic to earn clicks.
I respect their position & feel there’s two intentions. One to free up Indonesia from prostitution & people paring up for money or to take advantage of each other. But to promote true love commitment & less abandoned women & children, that I imagine had grown over COVID.
THE SECOND INTENTION is, I feel unfortunately a religious one. This law was put through by a group of Islamic leaders in the parliamentary chairs, to push for Islamic “Muslim ” law. I feel this is unfortunate. Not because it’s a Islamic push but that it is a religious motivation rather than socal. I know from living in Indonesia that at this time if couples wish to get married thay must come to one religious group, & many people don’t get married due to this as they have there own personal religious beliefs, & respect there partners beliefs.
There is no way to marry with out having a religious party approval, there is no way to register or obtain a marriage license. It would be much better if the government freed up people’s religious rights to be the people’s personal choice & implemented an option for religious neutral marriage licenses or register. This would open up opportunities for couples, & help achieve a better way of living, rather than pushing a underlying religious mandate.