Pariaman – The Pariaman municipal government (pemkot) in West Sumatra will be taking more serious measures against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people in the city by using customary law. The punishments could range from paying a fine in the form of cement or a buffalo.
“In order to reach an agreement, [we] must first coordinate with stakeholders such as the LKAAM [Association of Minangkabau Customary Law Councils], village heads, the LPM [Community Empowerment Foundation} and the MUI [Indonesia Ulama Council], to sit down together and talk about what measures to take against LGBT”, said Pariaman Deputy May Mardison Mahyuddin as quoted by Detik’s covesia.com on Wednesday November 7.
Mahyuddin said that all elements of society would be involved including the Polri (national police) and the TNI (Indonesian military) as well as Satpol PP (Public Order Agency) officers as the enforces of municipal bylaws.
“Indeed it is not yet included in any Pariaman City bylaw but the Pariaman municipal government is firm that it will take action against perpetrators of LGBT if they are found”, he said.
In addition to enacting regulations, in order to take measures against social illnesses (pekat) the municipal government will draft a special budget for the eradication of maksiat [immorality, the violation of God’s law] and perpetrators of LGBT.
Mahyuddin appealed to all village elders to empower the Bhabinkamtibmas [police security and public order supervisory officers] in their villages to “totally wipe out” perpetrators of immorality in the city of Tabuik [referring to Pariaman traditional culture].
With regard to the bylaw, the municipal government and the Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) will evaluate and insert articles and special sanctions into the laws related to perpetrators of LGBT.
DPRD Pariaman Deputy Speaker Fitri Nora meanwhile said that although the city does not have any specific articles in its bylaws to regulate sanctions against perpetrators of LGBT, customary and traditional sanctions and punishments are already being enforced.
“Customary punishments are actually harsher in acting against perpetrators of LGBT because customary law can provide a deterrent effect against what they are doing”, he explained.
One such example of customary law, he explained, is paying a fine in the form of cement [to build something for the village] or a buffalo as well as being ostracised or even expelled from the village or ward.
Furthermore, he said, all elements of society in Pariaman must sit down together and talk about the enforcement of these regulations and punishments. “If all of this is none, God willing the perpetrators of deviant [behaviour] will disappear by themselves”, he said in closing.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was LGBT di Pariaman akan Didenda Bayar Semen hingga Kerbau.]
Source: https://news.detik.com/berita/d-4290941/lgbt-di-pariaman-akan-didenda-bayar-semen-hingga-kerbau
