Aflutter Over Abortion

For nearly a month, debate on the pros and cons of the law on reproductive health has persisted. The regulation, No. 61/2014, has been questioned by a variety of circles, from religious organizations to state authorities.

The cause of dissent are certain articles that allow women to get abortion in special circumstances. Abortion has always been forbidden in Indonesia, and Health Minister Nafsiah Mboi said that was still so. The latest regulation, she said, simply provided an exception in cases of medical emergency and rape. According to Nafsiah, the spirit of the regulation was intended to protect the woman's right to reproductive health. "This is part of human rights," she said last week.