Indonesian soldiers imprisoned for queer sexual encounters
Two Indonesian soldiers have been discharged from the military and imprisoned for a total of seven months for engaging in acts of gay sex. Homosexuality is legal for civilians in the world’s biggest Muslim-majority nation, except in the conservative province Aceh. However, it is not considered legal for those serving in the military and is deemed inappropriate conduct.
The ruling which jailed the two Indonesian soldiers who joined in 2021, stated “the defendants’ acts of committing deviant sexual behavior with the same sex was very inappropriate because as soldiers, the defendants should be an example for the people in the defendants’ surrounding environment.”
“The defendants’ actions were very much against the law or any religious provisions.”
Imprisoning the military for such acts is not a new thing for Indonesia. Usman Hamis, the Amnesty International Indonesia Director, has commented on this situation in the past, and said, “this has been the increasing pattern among the Indonesian armed forces and police in recent years, where members were being fired or taken into court just for who they are, who they love, who they like.”
Usman also said “inflammatory statements” by the country’s political leaders had helped to further stigmatize minority groups, including the LGBTQ community, adding that the recent case was only “the tip of the iceberg.”
Despite the fact that homosexuality is not criminalized in most areas of Indonesia anymore, like these two Indonesian soldiers imprisoned recently, even civilians can occasionally be targeted and persecuted by means of anti-pornography and public order laws.
LGBTQ discrimination in the country remains relatively widespread. As recently as two years ago, some lawmakers were pushing to have ‘out’ LGBTQ people moved to government “rehabilitation” centers that would “cure” them of their sexuality. Transgender people are particularly targeted and at risk for harassment and persecution.
