Banda Aceh – the Aceh Ulema Consultative Council (MPU) – an assembly of religious leaders in Aceh – have issued a sticker prohibiting people from playing online gambling and the game Player Unknown's Battle Grounds (PUBG). The stickers will be put up on all coffee shops (warkop) and cafes in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh.

Banda Aceh – Residents of Kuta Alam in the Acehnese provincial capital of Aceh have caught a gay couple having same-sex relations at a boarding house. The possible existence of a wider gay community is also being investigated.

Raja Umar, Banda Aceh – Pictures of a group of women cyclists wearing tight clothing and no headscarfs riding around the Acehnese provincial capital of Banda Aceh has gone viral on social media.

The photos and videos of the women wearing sexy pink tops invited criticism from netizens.

Jakarta – The group Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) has highlighted deliberations on the Draft Criminal Code (RKUHP) which have again been held by the House of Representatives (DPR) in the midst of the corona virus pandemic.

Jakarta – The commemoration of International Women’s Day (IWD) in Jakarta on Sunday March 8 was marked by a long-march from the General Elections Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) building in Central Jakarta to the nearby Presidential Palace.

Aceh – Units from the Aceh Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) and the Wilayatul Hisbah Islamic police (WH) conducted checks on female drivers wearing tight clothing and men wearing short trousers.

The checks netted scores of violators with one of the women wearing a flannel shirt and long trousers.

Banda Aceh – Banda Aceh Mayor Aminullah Usman has banned residents from celebrating Valentine’s Day or the day of love on February 14.

Aceh Besar – The Greater Aceh regency government in Aceh province has again banned people from celebrating Valentine’s Day because it is deemed to conflict with Syariat Islam (Islamic law).

Jakarta – A number of protesters opposing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people in the Jakarta satellite city of Depok held an audience at the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) offices at the Depok town hall on Friday January 31.

Lea Citra, Adi Ahdiat, Jakarta – A gender activists from the group Indonesian Queer Feminist Activist, Lini Zurlia, says that the public should be critical of the Draft Law Against Sexually Deviant Propaganda (RUU Anti-Propaganda Penyimpangan Seksual).

Masriadi, Lhokseumawe – Lhokseumawe Mayor Suaidi Yahyais has asked to all cafe, restaurant, hotel and internet cafe owners in the city to limit working hours for women employees to 11 o’clock at night.

Zunita Putri, Jakarta – The country’s peak religious body, the Indonesia Ulama Council (MUI), supports a program by Demak Regent Muhammad Natsir who issued a circular banning socialising in the lead up to Magrib and Isya evening prayers.

Agus Setyadi, Banda Aceh – Aceh’s religious leaders (ulama) believe that there is no need to build cinemas in Tanah Rencong – as Aceh is known – and that cinemas are not something which have any benefit.

Jakarta – Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial) says that violations against freedom of religion and belief (KBB) occur because the law is bias towards the majority. Imparsial researcher Amelia says that several regulations guarantee the right to freedom of religion and worship but others threaten this freedom.

Yulida Medistiara, Jakarta – The Nusantara Traditional Community Alliance (AMAN) has criticised the government’s plan for couples to take pre-marital lessons on family life and children’s welfare before they can get married. AMAN believes that it will be difficult for traditional communities to qualify for this.

Jakarta – Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial) has found scores of violations against freedom of religion and worship (KBB) or intolerance in Indonesia over the last year.

Imparsial Program Coordinator Ardimanto Adiputra said that the violations against freedom of religion and worship occurred in a variety of forms.

Resky Novianto, Jakarta – Indonesia is still a country which unfriendly to minorities such as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people. An organisation which focuses on the rights of LGBT people, Rainbow Current (Arus Pelangi), has recorded 1,840 cases of persecution against LGBT people between 2006 and 2018.

Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) says that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s move to postpone the enactment of the Draft Criminal Code (RKUHP) will not resolve the problem.

Jakarta – The Draft Criminal Code (RKUHP) will further increase discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people.

This is because Article 421 (1) on indecent acts (pencabulan) explicitly cites indecent acts between people of the same sex.

Irsyan Hasyim, Depok – The Depok City government along with the Depok Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) are discussing a draft regional regulation (raperda) against Lesbian, Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people. But the policy has attracted protests from a number of groups including human rights and health organisations.