INDONESIA DISHES OUT TOUGH LOVE ON VALENTINE’S DAY

MAKASSAR, INDONESIA—INdonesia wasn’t feeling the love for Valentine’s Day on Friday as authorities arrested couples in one city, scolded stores over condom displays and warned students they would be reprimanded for amorous activities.

Makassar on Sulawesi island doled out some tough love with raids at hotels and guest houses Thursday evening which netted about two dozen unmarried offenders, including a German national.

“We caught the German with his Indonesian partner in a motel and they weren’t husband and wife so that’s why we arrested them,” Iman Hud, of the local public order office.

The unlucky lovers were released after a lecture about the evils of premarital sex, but five sex workers caught in the dragnet would be sent to a rehabilitation center, he added.

“Social illnesses must be prevented. We need to uphold our culture and ethics,” Hud said.

Valentine’s Day is controversial in parts of the majority Muslim nation, with many Islamic clerics and conservative Indonesians criticizing its Western roots, claiming it promotes premarital sex.

Still, many others practice a moderate form of Islam and celebrate the day with chocolates and flowers for their loved ones, and displays were set up at malls and cafés in the capital Jakarta.

In Makassar, authorities told shops not to sell condoms openly and make sure buyers weren’t underaged.

“Condoms are for married adults,” Hud said. “They’re not to be displayed and sold openly, particularly near snacks for kids like chocolate.”