Unmarried Couple Publicly Caned in Indonesia's Aceh for TikTok Kiss Violation

An unmarried couple in Indonesia's conservative Aceh province was publicly caned after a Sharia court convicted them of violating local Islamic law. The 22-year-old man and 25-year-old woman each received 21 lashes with a rattan cane. Their offense involved sharing a kiss during a TikTok livestream, which was deemed a breach of the province's Islamic law for unmarried individuals. The public punishment took place on a stage in Bustanussalatin City Park in Banda Aceh, witnessed by at least 100 onlookers and carried out by robed and hooded individuals. This incident highlights the strict enforcement of religious edicts in Aceh, where even minor public displays of affection, particularly on digital platforms, can lead to severe physical penalties, reinforcing the conservative nature of the region's legal system.