Severe punishment because of the Sharia

Flirting, kissing, drinking alcohol - all that is forbidden in Indonesian city Banda Aceh. The Sharia defines the laws there and a special police keeps an eye on adhering to the Islamic law. It is forbidden even for young people to hold their hands.

Everyone who is captured by the police has to face a severe punishment - beating with sticks in public. The last reports say that 8 youngsters have been arrested.

"I sinned. I advise every young person not to break the laws of Sharia because it hurts too much", says 22-year-old Kurnia.

The arrested young people are sentenced to 25 hits with a bamboo stick. More of them usually can't stand and pass out. Indonesia was for a long time a tolerant muslim country but now things have obviously changed.

Muslim hardliners in Jakarta overturned the local governer who was a Christian. He was sentenced to 2 years in prison after accusations in profanity.