Indonesian gay couple arrested over picture of them kissing on Facebook

• A student, 22, and his office worker boyfriend were arrested in Sulawesi
•  Homosexuality is legal in Indonesia but there has been a gay backlash 
• Police in the city of Manado said they faced prosecution under porn laws 
• Local media have reported Facebook removed picture under pressure 

Published 3:06 PM, October 14, 2016

Updated 3:08 PM, October 14, 2016

JAKARTA, Indonesia – An Indonesian gay couple has been arrested after a photo on Facebook of the men kissing sparked anger, police said Friday, October 14, in the latest move against the country's homosexual community.

• The 22-year-old university student and his boyfriend, an office worker, aged 24, were arrested on Tuesday on the island of Sulawesi after other Facebook users complained to the police about the picture.
  Police in the city of Manado said they could be prosecuted under the country's laws against obscenity and pornography. 
  

  Facebook reportedly removed the offending photograph after a complaint by an Indonesian government ministry

  A police spokesman, Marzaki, said: 'The couple admitted it's them in the picture and they posted the picture to prove their love.'

  While homosexuality is not illegal in Indonesia there has a growing backlash against gay people recently in the country, which has the world's largest Muslim population. 
  

  

  The couple, whose identities have not been disclosed, have been released on bail but they could be jailed if found guilty.

Published 3:06 PM, October 14, 2016

Updated 3:08

• Local media said the image had been posted on October 9 but was removed by Facebook after a request from Indonesia's communications and information technology ministry.
  Facebook was not immediately available for comment. 
• Indonesia's youth and sports ministry were criticised this week after they barred members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community from applying for a job.
  The online job advert said candidates should 'not be involved in casual sex or deviant acts, including LGBT' and said a doctor's certificate was needed to back it up.
  The ad was revised, with mention of LGBT dropped, after an outcry.
  Activists believe the backlash was triggered by widespread coverage of the legalisation of same-sex marriage in the United States last year.