Abortion Contrary To Law: Observer

Jakarta, Sept 2 (Antara) - The Government Regulation No. 61/2014 on reproductive health, which permits abortion for the victims of rape, is contrary to Law No. 23/2002 on child protection, stated women and children observer Giwo Rubianto. "In the perspective of child protection, abortion of a 40-day-old fetus of a rape victim is against Law No.23/2002 on child protection," Rubianto remarked here on Tuesday. He noted that the law on child protection stipulated that a fetus in the womb has the right to life and survival, and thus, abortion is against these rights. According to him, Regulation No. 61/2014 on abortion has stirred a controversy, but the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) has opined that abortion is allowed under certain conditions. The Government`s Regulation No. 61/2014 was announced on July 21. As per one of the articles in the regulation, abortion is allowed if the pregnancy threatens the mother`s life or if the mother was raped, and the pregnancy can cause a psychological trauma to the victim. The legalization of Regulation Number 61 sparked a controversy among several people. Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin has stated that the government will allow abortion if the pregnancy physically and mentally threatens the mother. Doctors and medical experts are assigned the task to decide whether an abortion is deemed necessary or not. The abortion must be conducted before the fetus is 4 months old. But, Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia`s women section has condemned the government regulation 2014 as it legalizes abortion, a spokeswoman Iffah Ainur Rochmah reported here on Thursday. "Especially, in the article about the permissibility of abortion for women who are pregnant due to rape besides those having a medical emergency," Iffah added. Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia`s women section has criticized two important factors with regard to the regulation. The first pertains to the legalization of abortion for rape victims while the second pertains to the concept of reproductive health, which overarches the legalization of abortion.