The Indonesian Police detained 51 men, including several foreigners, during a raid on a sauna in Jakarta on Friday night, Reuters reported. Describing the sauna as a “gay spa”, officials said that some of those taken into custody could face up to six years in prison under the country’s pornography and prostitution laws.
Jakarta Police spokesperson Argo Yuwono said that four Chinese nationals, a Singaporean, one Thai national, one Malaysian, and one Dutchman were among those detained on Friday. However, these foreigners would not face any charges, Yuwono said. The building that was raided contained a sauna as well as a gym.
The arrests are the latest in a series of actions the Muslim-majority country has taken against gay clubs and parties this year. Homosexuality is legal in Indonesia, except for the conservative Aceh province in northern Sumatra.
Andreas Harsono, a researcher for Human Rights Watch in Jakarta, said there was a pattern in the disciplinary action against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Indonesia. “If they raided [this club] because they are gay, it is abusive, it is abuse of power,” he said. “If there is no victim, there is no crime.”
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