Two gay men in Indonesia’s Aceh province have been publicly caned 77 times each after they were reported to police by vigilantes who raided their apartment.

The Guardian reports that the public caning was watched by dozens of people in the capital Banda Aceh. Human rights groups have condemned the punishment as brutal and medieval.

It was the third time that authorities have caned people for being gay in Aceh province, which was given the authority to implement sharia law in 2001 as part of an autonomy deal with central government.

The men, aged 27 and 29, were arrested in November after a mob of local residents broke into their home and allegedly found them having sex. In December, the men were sentenced to 80 strokes by a Shariah court – the punishment was reduced to 77 strokes because of the time they have spent in prison.

According to the reporting by the Guardian, the men winced in pain and pleaded for the punishment to stop as they were beaten with a rattan stick. The mother of one man fainted as she watched.

Beyond the pain of the caning that they have received, it’s not clear what will happen to the two men – publicly outed and humiliated for being gay, it’s likely that they will be unable to work and will be ostracised by their community.

What’s life like for LGBTQ people in Indonesia?

What’s life like for LGBTQ people in Indonesia? Let’s take a look at some of the key equality indicators.

Is homosexuality legal in Indonesia?

Pretty much. In most of Indonesia, homosexuality is not criminalised. But there are some parts of the country that operate under Sharia law, which criminalises same-sex sexual activity.

Are there anti-discrimination protections in place for LGBTQ people in Indonesia?

No. There are no protections from discrimination on the grounds of sexuality.

Is there Marriage Equality in Indonesia?

No. There is no legal recognition for same-sex relationships.

What’s life like for LGBTQ people in Indonesia?

Indonesia is a socially conservative country. Homosexuality is seen as a taboo subject.

Homophobia is systemic. It appears that censorship restrictions and public decency laws are being used to target and persecute LGBTQ people.

LGBTQ people conceal their sexuality.

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