💰 Indonesia summons U.N. official after criticism of new laws

TL;DR

JAKARTA, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Indonesia summoned a United Nations official on Monday after the organisation expressed concerns over threats to civil liberties posed by the newly-ratified revisions to its criminal code, its foreign ministry said.Indonesia's parliament last week approved an overhaul of its criminal code, prohibiting sex outside marriage and cohabitation between unmarried couples, among other controversial revisions.Teuku Faizasyah, a foreign ministry spokesperson, said the ministry summoned the U.N. resident coordinator in Jakarta over the comment, saying the organisation should have consulted with the government before airing its misgivings.Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej, Indonesia's deputy justice minister, told reporters on Monday the code "does not disturb" the interests of foreign investors or tourists so long as authorities adhere to national guidelines, adding the government would spend the next three years ensuring adherence.Andreas Harsono, a senior Human Rights Watch researcher in Indonesia, said last week that the code "contains oppressive and vague provisions that open the door to invasions of privacy and selective enforcement that will enable the police to extort bribes, lawmakers to harass political opponents, and officials to jail ordinary bloggers"."

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