Indonesian Government bans premarital sex for locals and foreigners.

Members of the Indonesian Parliament holding up the country's new criminal code.

 The Indonesian government has passed laws which criminalize sex outside of marriage. The laws were passed as a part of a new criminal code the government would be imposing on the society. The new code also restricts political freedom of citizens.  

Interestingly, the aspect which makes premarital sex criminal among Indonesians or ex-patriots who live in the country, it also makes it a criminal offence for tourists to the country to engage in sexual activity if they are not married. This also applies to Bali, the country's popular tourist destination.

The legislative changes comes as the Muslim country is experiencing an upsurge in religious fervour. 

Several groups of mainly young people protested the new laws outside of the parliament in Jakarta, and it is expected that they will be contested in the courts of the country.  

Under the laws, unmarried couples are not allowed to live together. If found to be cohabiting together the couple can be jailed for up to six months. A ban on premarital sex was already in the country's laws but it was not enforced until now.