Authorities in Indonesia's ultra-conservative Aceh province have ordered men and women not immediately related or married to stay apart in vehicles and public places, the local government said on Thursday as it seeks to tighten Islamic law.
Authorities told civil servants and members of the public of the opposite sex who have no family relations"not to gather in public spaces, quiet places, as well as in vehicles", according to a circular issued last week. "The Aceh generations will not only be capable of competing globally but also capable of maintaining Islam which is integrated into the customs, culture and everyday life of the people of Aceh."
An Islamic stronghold in Indonesia, Aceh was given the right to implement sharia under broad autonomy granted by Jakarta in 2001 as part of efforts to curb separatist sentiment.