Foreign tourists boycott Bali over proposed law banning premarital sex

Specifically, the new Indonesian bill stipulates that lovers are not allowed to spend the night together if they are not married. This law also applies to homosexuals, whose marriage is not legal in many countries. If anyone is found to be in violation, they will face two penalties: imprisonment for 6 months or a fine of 10 million IDR (about 710 USD).

Asked whether foreign tourists would be arrested if they had sex together, Teuku Taufiqulhadi replied: "As long as people don't find out, there won't be any problem," according to Reuters.

But tourists seem to feel threatened by the bill even before it has passed. Elizabeth Travers, the manager of a chain of 30 villas in Bali, said many guests have canceled their bookings. "I have clients telling me they don't want to come to Bali anymore because they are not married," Travers said. Travers added that if the bill were to be implemented, it would cause serious damage to tourism, possibly more than terrorism or volcanic eruptions.

"I understand we're not allowed to hold hands or kiss in places of worship. But I don't want to go on holiday and have to worry about something that's completely normal at home being a problem here. So I'm going to think about going back to Bali," Rose Hughes, a British tourist, told the Sydney Morning Herald.

In the face of fierce opposition from the public and human rights groups, the Indonesian government has temporarily shelved the bill to review its provisions. President Joko Widodo announced that the vote on the new bill will be postponed until October. If passed, the new regulations will be announced within the next two years.

Nguyen Bao