BANDA ACEH (AFP) – Two Indonesian Christians were publicly flogged in conservative Aceh province yesterday for playing a children’s entertainment game seen as violating Islamic law.

The pair were among five people – including a couple whipped two dozen times each for showing affection in public – who were lashed with a rattan stick.

Aceh is the only province in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country that imposes sharia law and people can be flogged for a range of offences – from gambling, to drinking alcohol to having gay sex or relations outside of marriage.

Dahlan Silitonga, 61, and Tjia Nyuk Hwa, 45, were flogged six and seven times respectively after being arrested for playing at a children’s entertainment complex that lets users exchange coins for prizes, vouchers or cash.

Another man Ridwan MR got 19 lashes for being involved in the game.

• Tags: Aceh, alcohol, BANDA ACEH, gambling, gay, Indonesia, Indonesian Christians, Islamic law, Muslim-majority