Indonesia's Aceh orders men and women apart in vehicles and public

Authorities in Aceh told civil servants and members of the public of the opposite sex who have no family relations "not to gather in public spaces, quiet places, as well as in vehicles", according to a circular issued last week. - AFP

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (AFP): Authorities in Indonesia's ultra-conservative Aceh province have ordered men and women not immediately related or married to stay apart in vehicles and public places, the local government said Thursday as it seeks to tighten Islamic law.

Aceh, located on the northern tip of Sumatra island, is the only province in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country that imposes Islamic law.