According to human rights activist Nursjahbani Katjasungkana, the supreme courts have created a dangerous precedent that could give the green light to the practice of "forced marriage" even for minors. It would appear that the Supreme Court decision gave into pressure from the Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI), a so-called "observer" of morals and morality on the Muslim archipelago. The Islamist movement has long campaigned for marriage of girls under 18 years.
Katjasungkana explains the judges have effectively legalized marriages of girls as young as 16, considered "adult" and "ready" for marriage even if the reality is quite different. In this context, he adds, cases of forced marriages involving girls and young women, 16 years or younger will be legal. [AsiaNews] Read more
