Islamic authorities cane 4 gamblers in Aceh

An Acehnese man, Hasbi, is flogged as part of his sentence for illegal gambling in Aceh Besar, Indonesia's Aceh province, on Friday. Aceh is the only province in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, where the Shariah law is enforced. (Reuters)

JAKARTA, Indonesia: Three convicted gamblers have been publicly caned for gambling in Indonesia's devoutly Muslim province of Aceh.

Bendry Almy, a local prosecutor, says the men were caned seven times each Friday outside a mosque before hundreds of worshippers.

He says the men were among 21 suspected gamblers nabbed last month while playing cards after a wedding party in Dayah Dabo village.

Only four of the men were convicted because the others failed to show up for their trials. The caning of the fourth man was postponed because of a health condition.

Indonesia has a policy of secularism, but the government granted highly conservative Aceh province special permission to implement a version of Sharia law in 2001 as part of efforts to defuse an Islamic rebellion there.

 

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