BANDA ACEH, Indonesia: A village in a conservative region of Indonesia is pulling the plug on wireless Internet after children were caught accessing porn sites instead of going to Koran study class, officials said Monday.
Aceh province – the only region in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country that imposes Islamic law – has drawn fire in the past for publicly whipping people found guilty of a range of offences including homosexuality, gambling and drinking alcohol.
Curee Baroh village has ordered half a dozen local cafes to shut their cheap WiFi service immediately.
It is located in the district of Bireun, which made headlines this year when it banned men and women from dining together unless they were married or related. Officials defended the new edict by saying the service, which cost the equivalent of 21 US cents for five hours’ use, was damaging local children’s morals.
“In the past, kids would recite the Koran after evening prayers but since WiFi has become available, they’re hanging out in these shops instead,” village head Helmiadi Mukhtaruddin told AFP. “They’re accessing pornographic images and other sites, which is very damaging to their morals.”
The village of 900 people has not yet decided on a punishment for cafe owners who refuse to comply with the order, which was announced on Friday. – AFP
