Indonesia mulls criminalising unmarried cohabiting couples

JAKARTA (AFP) - Indonesia is deliberating criminalising unmarried couples living together and lengthening jail terms for adulterers, a lawmaker said on Friday, in plans that activists have dubbed regressive.

The proposals were drafted by the Justice and Human Rights Ministry as the House of Representatives revises the nation's dated criminal code, garnering support from several members.

"If couples are living in one home and aren't married, of course they should be sanctioned," Khatibul Umam Wiranu, a member of the commission overseeing the revision, told AFP.

"In my opinion, adultery is the root of many social problems."