Couple Publicly Caned in Indonesia After TikTok Incident
A young couple in Indonesia faced public caning on Thursday after being accused of kissing during a TikTok livestream. The 22-year-old man and 25-year-old woman received 21 lashes each under local morality laws enforced by an Islamic Sharia court in the conservative Aceh province.
According to reports, the couple was arrested in March and had already served four months in prison. Their sentence, initially set at 25 lashes, was reduced due to time already served.
Officials stated the couple filmed a TikTok video inside a car, which went viral and led to their arrest for what authorities labeled as “immoral behavior.” The Sharia police noted that reports from local residents expressing concern about the livestream prompted their investigation.
A Banda Aceh resident who witnessed the caning expressed support for the punishment. She stated, “This caning is entirely justified because it serves as a warning to other residents to be more careful when using social media.”
Aceh is the only region in Indonesia that applies its own Islamic Criminal Code, a right granted by the secular Indonesian government in 2005 as part of a peace agreement to end a separatist movement. This law includes strict penalties for moral offenses like adultery and same-sex relations, with possible punishments of up to 100 lashes.
Human rights groups have criticized public caning as a cruel and degrading practice. However, authorities maintain that it is a necessary deterrent against immoral behavior in the region.
