Police in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta have raided what they describe as a ‘gay spa’, and arrested 51 men.
The men have been arrested under pornography and prostitution laws. Homosexuality is not illegal in Indonesia, except in the northern province of Aceh, but the country’s vague pornography laws are increasingly used by authorities to target the LGBT community.
Recently there has been a growing number of raids on establishments where LGBTI people meet, and their homes. Concern has been raised by the United Nations and human rights groups.
A police spokesperson said the police were not able to comment on what the men were doing at the time of the raid, because it as dark.
Police said the venue had a cashier, and a person who gave out towels, and they believed the activities occurring at the venue should be considered as prostitution. Those arrested could face up to six years imprisonment.
The men arrested include Indonesia citizens and several foreigners, including four Chinese nationals, one person from The Netherlands, a Thai national, and a Malaysian. Police say none of the foreigners will be charged, and most people were released the next day.
Five employees of the venue, four men and one woman, have been detained.
Human rights Activists have said that the incident highlights an abuse of power. The latest raid has been highlighted by Human Rights Watch who note that there has been a growing number of incidents of a similar nation in the country.
OIP Staff
Support OUTinPerth
Thanks for reading OUTinPerth. We can only create LGBTIQA+ focused media with your help.
If you can help support our work, please consider assisting us through a one-off contribution to our GoFundMe campaign, or a regular contribution through our Patreon appeal.
