The Semarang Military Court has sentenced a chief private, identified only as P, to one year’s imprisonment, in addition to dismissing him from the Indonesian Military (TNI) for having same-sex intercourse with another member of the military.
“Burhan added that leaders of the Indonesian Army were infuriated after recently discovering that around 20 officers involved in cases of homosexuality were acquitted by judges of the military court.
The concerns, he said, were related to the personnel’s ability to uphold the country’s defence.
“If in carrying out their tasks the soldiers have deviant habits, how can they carry out their duties properly?,” he said.
Lini Zurlia, an advocacy officer of the cross-border organisation for LGBT rights Asean SOGIE Caucus, criticised the punishment against P, arguing that it was an individual’s private matter.
She raised concerns that the punishment would have a further impact on members of the Indonesian LGBT community that had already faced systematic discrimination in society.
This article was first published in Asia One . All contents and images are copyright to their respective owners and sources.
