Criminal Code Bill Affects Tourism Industry

The Criminal Code bill has already affected Indonesia’s tourism industry following Australia’s move to issue travel advice to the citizens visiting Indonesia even though the Indonesian government has not passed the bill yet. The country alerts the risks of getting jailed or fined when visiting Indonesia since the newest Criminal Code bill will prohibit several activities, such as extramarital-including same-sex sexual intercourses, co-habitations, or insulting the president, vice-president, and religions.

The Criminal Code bill Article 417, for example, will incriminate any person doing extramarital sexual intercourses with adultery charge, punishable by up to one year in jail or a category two fine. The Dailymail reported that several Australian tourists start canceling the plan to visit Bali in fear of the Criminal Code bill. Elizabeth Travers, the owners of around 30 villas in Bali, even stated that the Criminal Code bill would seriously distress Bali’s tourism.