Latest news with #Aceh
CNA
3 days ago
- Politics
- CNA
Four islands off Sumatra belong to Aceh, Prabowo rules, ending province's dispute with North Sumatra
JAKARTA: Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto has ruled that four contested islands off the northwestern coast of Sumatra belong to Aceh, putting an end to the province's long-running dispute with neighbouring North Sumatra. The Indonesian government decided the islands of Lipan, Panjang, Mangkir Gadang and Mangkir Ketek were administratively part of Aceh province after a limited Cabinet meeting led by the president on Tuesday (Jun 17). The islands had been at the centre of a bureaucratic tug-of-war between Aceh – a special autonomous province with broader self-governing powers than other provinces – and North Sumatra after a recent ministerial decree listed them as part of Central Tapanuli regency in North Sumatra. The decree, issued on Apr 25, prompted protests and renewed scrutiny of the islands' rightful status. Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian clarified on Tuesday that Prabowo's decision was grounded in official documents dating back over three decades. Among them was a 1992 decree that unambiguously placed the four islands within the jurisdiction of Aceh's Singkil regency. 'We found an original document from Nov 24, 1992 – yellowed with age but still intact – that clearly includes the islands as part of Aceh. It was compelling enough for us to prepare formal records confirming its authenticity,' said Tito. Prabowo's decision followed joint consultations with the governors of both affected provinces. Aceh governor Muzakir Manaf and North Sumatra governor Bobby Nasution both participated in the virtual meeting and signed a formal agreement recognising Aceh's administrative claim to the islands. Muzakir welcomed the decision, saying it brought clarity to an issue that had caused unnecessary tension. 'This should settle everything. No party is at a loss here, and most importantly, the islands remain under the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia,' he said. Bobby echoed the sentiment, urging residents of both provinces to avoid divisive rhetoric. 'Aceh is our neighbour. Let's not be swayed by provocations or misinformation. What matters most is unity,' said Bobby, who is also the son-in-law of former President Joko Widodo. According to news outlet Jakarta Globe, a survey conducted in 2022 found the islands to be uninhabited. But they contain cultural and religious markers such as graves and monuments erected by the Aceh government. Lipan island is mostly submerged due to rising sea levels, news outlet Tempo reported. Panjang is the largest of the four islands with an area of 45.81 hectares, the size of about 45 football fields. Mangkir Ketek has an area of 6.36 hectares while Mangkir Gadang's area is 7.48 hectares. They are 1.2km to 2.4km from mainland Sumatra, Tempo reported. The dispute over the islands has attracted heightened attention in recent years, partly due to their strategic and economic potential. They are near the Offshore West Aceh oil and gas block currently operated by Conrad Asia Energy, which has estimated gas reserves of 296 billion cubic feet, reported Jakarta Globe. They are also near the Offshore North West Aceh block, which is believed to hold vast energy resources. Muzakir said the islands are also believed to hold valuable reserves of natural gas.
Malay Mail
11-06-2025
- Malay Mail
Penang police rescue three Indonesians allegedly held captive for a year, arrest four suspects
GEORGE TOWN, June 11 — Penang police rescued three Indonesian men believed to have been held captive for nearly a year in a condominium on Jalan Dr Wu Lien Teh here yesterday, Berita Harian reported. The case reportedly came to light after a man from Aceh, Indonesia, lodged a report while searching for his family member who had been missing for a year. According to the Malay daily, the three victims were confined to the residence with their feet chained to iron bars on the window. They are believed to have no prior connection with one another, and their passports were allegedly held by a suspect under the pretense of securing employment. One of the victims managed to send his location to his family in Aceh, prompting the complainant to approach the police, according to the report. Police are currently investigating the case, including the motive for the confinement and the possible involvement of other suspects. Following the rescue, Berita Harian reported that four individuals, including a foreign woman, were remanded for four days starting today to assist with the investigation under Section 344 of the Penal Code, which pertains to wrongful confinement for an extended period. The remand order was issued by Magistrate Azlan Basri at the George Town Court. Penang police chief Datuk Hamzah Ahmad confirmed the case and the arrests when contacted.
Daily Mail
04-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
100 lashes each for unmarried sex: Couple are flogged in front of a crowd as part of Sharia law punishment in Indonesia
A couple in Indonesia were publicly flogged 100 times each after they were found guilty of sex outside marriage by a court operating under strict Islamic law. The man and woman stood in front of a crowd in the country's conservative Aceh province on Wednesday as they received their brutal punishment. Sexual relations between an unmarried couple is outlawed in Aceh - which is the only area that practices Sharia law in Indonesia, and the only region where floggings take place. Shocking images show the pair grimacing in pain as a masked member of the Sharia police delivers the agonizing lashings. Indonesia banned sex outside of marriage in its latest criminal code in 2022 but that law will not come into force until next year. The two were lashed in sets of 10 with a rattan stick as a small crowd watched on at a park in provincial capital Banda Aceh, and the female suspect was lashed by a woman, according to a reporter at the scene. Three other suspects were caned a combined 49 times for alleged gambling and alcohol consumption. The man and woman stood in front of a crowd in Indonesia 's conservative Aceh province on Wednesday as they received their brutal punishment Sexual relations between an unmarried couple is outlawed in Aceh, which imposes a version of sharia, the Islamic legal code The two were lashed in sets of 10 with a rattan stick as a small crowd watched on at a park in provincial capital Banda Aceh, and the female suspect was lashed by a woman, according to a reporter at the scene 'Today we are carrying out flogging punishment for perpetrators of adultery, alcohol consumption, and online gambling,' Banda Aceh Mayor Illiza Sa'aduddin Djamal told reporters. 'This becomes a moral lesson for the community at large. This flogging punishment becomes a gateway to repentance for them.' Medical services were on standby for all of those convicted. Rights groups have condemned the punishment as draconian. Yet caning retains strong support among Aceh's population as a common punishment for a range of offences including gambling, drinking alcohol and adultery. In February two men were publicly flogged more than 150 times after being found guilty of sexual relations. Gay sex is outlawed in Aceh. The region started using religious law after it was granted special autonomy in 2001, an attempt by the central government to quell a long-running separatist insurgency. It comes after last year two couples received thrashes with canes after allegedly having sex outside marriage in Aceh. Horrifying pictures showed the brutal punishments of up to 20 lashes being meted out by members of the Sharia police, known as the Wilayatul Hisbah. The women are seen kneeling with their heads bowed and the men standing up as they are caned. In the aftermath, more disturbing images show one man's injuries after he received the lashes, with officials inspecting his back which is left bleeding and scarred. The victims also received medical check-ups before the thrashes were given out, with medics pictured checking the men's blood pressure.
South China Morning Post
04-06-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Indonesia' strict Muslim province canes couple for sex outside marriage
A man and woman were publicly flogged 100 times each in Indonesia's conservative Aceh province on Wednesday after they were found guilty of sex outside marriage by a court operating under strict Islamic law. Sexual relations between an unmarried couple are outlawed in Aceh, which imposes a version of sharia, the Islamic legal code. Indonesia banned sex outside of marriage in its latest criminal code in 2022 but that law will not come into force until next year. The two were lashed in sets of 10 with a rattan stick as a small crowd watched on at a park in provincial capital Banda Aceh, and the female suspect was lashed by a woman, according to an AFP reporter at the scene. Three other suspects were caned a combined 49 times for alleged gambling and alcohol consumption. Caning retains strong support among Aceh's population as a common punishment for a range of offences, including gambling, drinking alcohol and adultery. Photo: EPA-EFE 'Today we are carrying out flogging punishment for perpetrators of adultery, alcohol consumption, and online gambling,' Banda Aceh Mayor Illiza Sa'aduddin Djamal told reporters.
Malay Mail
04-06-2025
- General
- Malay Mail
Unmarried couple flogged 100 times in Indonesia's Aceh for sex outside marriage under strict Shariah law
BANDA ACEH, June 4 — A man and woman were publicly flogged 100 times each in Indonesia's conservative Aceh province on Wednesday after they were found guilty of sex outside marriage by a court operating under strict Islamic law. Sexual relations between an unmarried couple is outlawed in Aceh, which imposes a version of shariah, the Islamic legal code. Indonesia banned sex outside of marriage in its latest criminal code in 2022 but that law will not come into force until next year. The two were lashed in sets of 10 with a rattan stick as a small crowd watched on at a park in provincial capital Banda Aceh, and the female suspect was lashed by a woman, according to an AFP reporter at the scene. Three other suspects were caned a combined 49 times for alleged gambling and alcohol consumption. 'Today we are carrying out flogging punishment for perpetrators of adultery, alcohol consumption, and online gambling,' Banda Aceh Mayor Illiza Sa'aduddin Djamal told reporters. 'This becomes a moral lesson for the community at large. This flogging punishment becomes a gateway to repentance for them.' Medical services were on standby for all of those convicted. Rights groups have condemned the punishment as draconian. Yet caning retains strong support among Aceh's population as a common punishment for a range of offences including gambling, drinking alcohol and adultery. In February two men were publicly flogged more than 150 times after being found guilty of sexual relations. Gay sex is outlawed in Aceh. The region started using religious law after it was granted special autonomy in 2001, an attempt by the central government to quell a long-running separatist insurgency. — AFP
