Last week the Indonesian Parliament signed off on a range of new laws, some of which have caused quite a stir. The one that has caused the most consternation, and dare I say, confusion especially within media, is the “sex ban” law. This new Bali law, as many are calling it, is actually for the entire Indonesia, and is nowhere near as concerning as international media are making out.
I’m looking at YOU Australian Media.
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NOTE – This article is written as my personal opinion. I will state fact when it comes to the law, and how it is envisioned to be enforced. I will also state the facts that we know as of now (time of writing). Any shade that is thrown at international media is my own opinion, but I am pretty certain I am not in the minority there.
What is the New Bali Law?
It actually is not a new Bali law. It is an Indonesian law that has been passed by parliament this past week. While there were several laws passed at the time, it is the one that prohibits non married couples from co habitating or sleeping together that has caused a lot of consternation.
Most of this confusion and panic has come from the Australian Media. This is the same media that caused the initial panic during Covid 19, and has a record of causing panic when it comes to anything to do with Bali. Basically, Bali bashing has long been their favorite sport.
What I would like to tell you today is that there is no need to panic about this new Bali law. In a nutshell, it will hardly affect international tourists. In fact, I will confidently say that 99.999% of tourists will be nowhere NEAR being affected by this law.
New Bali Law facts
Ok, let’s take a look at a couple of facts about the new law that are NOT being reported in most media channels.
- First – The law does not come into effect for another 3 YEARS! It was passed in Parliament, but there is still a lot of water to flow under the bridge until it is rubber stamped. Many laws get thrown on the wood heap in that time, and with the backlash coming down heavily on the government right now, this one certainly could as well.
- Second – For someone to fall foul of the authorities under this new Bali law, they have to be reported for co-habitating, or sleeping with someone they are not married to. The catch here is that reports will only be accepted by someone who is personally affected by the offence. In this case, a Spouse, Parent, or Child of the offender.
This makes it almost impossible for any tourist or visitor to Bali to fall foul of the New Bali Law. In the past few days there has been several responses from highly placed officials within Bali saying just that. There is no need for panic, and this will NOT affect Australian, or ANY International Tourists going to Bali on holiday.
Who CAN get in trouble?
There are only a couple of circumstances where a visitor to Indonesia MAY fall foul of the New Bali Law.
- First – Tinder users beware. If you are coming to Bali to hook up with a local, then be very careful. If you hook up with a local, and then there is a complaint made by a Parent, Spouse or Child of the person you hooked up with, then you COULD be in trouble.
- Second – And this would be a very rare case – You come to Bali with your significant other who you are not married to, and while here the police receive a complaint from their Parent, Child or Spouse. But this would be a VERY rare case, and in my opinion it would take a bit of a push to be followed up on.
So as you can see, this is really not going to be an issue for the majority of visitors to Bali.
Summary
If you are planning a holiday to Bali, then DO NOT PANIC. I don’t care what your local media is telling you, because they are totally ignoring the facts, and everything that the government, media and authorities in Indonesia are saying. What is being reported everywhere outside of Indonesia is designed to make headlines and is basically clickbait!
Bali and Indonesia are as safe as ever. In fact, it is a wonderful place to be right now. Remember, if in doubt, these laws still won’t come in for another 3 YEARS!
Well that’s it for THE JOURNEY #16 – Sorry it has not been an update on my latest exploits. That will come very soon in THE JOURNEY #17, and trust me, there is a lot to catch up on!
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Hi there. I don’t think you should minimize this stir or bash the media – because of it, there’s now a larger chance that the ridiculous law will be withdrawn and the locals can live in peace, so I don’t think it’s out of line at all. As for your thoughts that tourists generally not being affected, that’s always up in the air isn’t it? These types of things always start seemingly innocuously before escalating. Better nip it in the bud before it is implemented.
It’s a good thought. But from someone living in Indonesia and having been here for a long time, I see how it works. This law is never going to last, and we know that. It is also one of the reasons that it won’t affect tourists or tourism. Basically Bali lives on tourism, and the government will never pass a law such as this that will affect that income. It has nothing to do with what the media says. What DOES have to do with the media, is that they cause a panic and then THEY affect the tourism.