Denying LGBT law hoax, House insists it wants to criminalise LGBT

Tribune News – February 14, 2019
Protest at DPR against draft Criminal Code – February 12, 2018 (hidayatullah)Protest at DPR against draft Criminal Code – February 12, 2018 (hidayatullah)
Protest at DPR against draft Criminal Code – February 12, 2018 (hidayatullah)

Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) has denied rumors that they are deliberating a law to legalise Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) activities.

The denial follows rumors about the ratification of a draft LGBT Law (RUU LGBT) in a broadcast message circulated on WhatsApp groups and social media.

“There isn’t any RUU LGBT”, said DPR Commission III member Arsul Sani at the parliamentary complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Wednesday February 13.

The secretary general of the Islamic based United Development Party (PPP) explained that what is in fact being deliberated by the DPR at the moment is expanding the provisions in the Criminal Code (KUHP) on obscene behaviour.

One of these is how to prosecute the perpetrators of crimes with a deviant sexual orientation through criminal provisions.

“The deliberations being held are in fact on expanding [the prohibitions] on obscene behaviour which involve same sex perpetrators with an abnormal sexual orientation, that is precisely what is being expanded”, he explained.

Sani said that they would never legalise LGBT activates and that what is being done by the parliament at the moment is working out how to prosecute perpetrators of this sexual disorientation.

“So we can prosecute obscene behaviours which prior to this have not been able to be prosecuted under the current KUHP”, asserted Sani.

The following is the unedited text of the broadcast message on the alleged ratification of an LGBT law:

“Surely we all come from God, the RUU LGBT [law] has been ratified. It turns out the PPP & the PKB [National Awakening Party] supported it. The info is like: Don’t publicise it Pak [Mr], we’re afraid of being confronted, yes, the PKS [Justice and Prosperity Party], [presidential hopeful Prabowo Subianto’s] Gerindra [Party], the PAN [National Awakening Party] are openly shedding tears in the DPR”.

[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was “DPR Bantah Sedang Bahas Rancangan Undang-undang LGBT”.]

Source: http://www.tribunnews.com/nasional/2019/02/14/dpr-bantah-sedang-bahas-rancangan-undang-undang-lgbt