In the city of Makassar on Sulawesi island, police raided convenience stores and seized condoms that were readily available in most parts of Indonesia, a secular country whose state ideology enshrines religious diversity.
In other parts of the country, students were banned from celebrating Valentine's Day, saying the romantic tradition encourages casual sex and is against their cultural norms.
“These raids were doneafter we received reports from residents that the minimarts were selling condoms in an unregulated way, especially on Valentine's Day,” Makassar police official Jufri was quoted as saying in a local media report.
He added employees of the minimarts were told not to sell contraceptives to teenagers, the report said.
Growing restrictions Indonesia's highest Islamic clerical council declared Valentine's Day forbidden by Islamic law in 2012, saying it was contradictory to Muslim culture and teachings. But the vast majority of Indonesia's more than 220 million Muslims follow a moderate form of Islam in a country with sizeable Christian and Hindu minorities.
Rights groups have expressed concerns over the growing influence of Islamist groups, who have targeted how people lead their lives. A hardline group went around malls in East Java late last year to check whether outlets had ordered Muslim staff to wear Christmas apparel such as Santa hats.
In Indonesia's second largest city, Surabaya, government officials ordered schools to ban students from celebrating Valentine's Day “in or outside of school” because it ran counter to “cultural and social norms”, according to a copy of the letter on the city's official website.
Under Indonesia's decentralised system of government, regional authorities are allowed to issue bylaws without approval from the central government.
In other parts of the country, students were banned from celebrating Valentine's Day, saying the romantic tradition encourages casual sex and is against their cultural norms.
“These raids were doneafter we received reports from residents that the minimarts were selling condoms in an unregulated way, especially on Valentine's Day,” Makassar police official Jufri was quoted as saying in a local media report.
He added employees of the minimarts were told not to sell contraceptives to teenagers, the report said.
Growing restrictions Indonesia's highest Islamic clerical council declared Valentine's Day forbidden by Islamic law in 2012, saying it was contradictory to Muslim culture and teachings. But the vast majority of Indonesia's more than 220 million Muslims follow a moderate form of Islam in a country with sizeable Christian and Hindu minorities.
Rights groups have expressed concerns over the growing influence of Islamist groups, who have targeted how people lead their lives. A hardline group went around malls in East Java late last year to check whether outlets had ordered Muslim staff to wear Christmas apparel such as Santa hats.
In Indonesia's second largest city, Surabaya, government officials ordered schools to ban students from celebrating Valentine's Day “in or outside of school” because it ran counter to “cultural and social norms”, according to a copy of the letter on the city's official website.
Under Indonesia's decentralised system of government, regional authorities are allowed to issue bylaws without approval from the central government.
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