A suicide is always tragic, but teenage suicide is particularly so. In the case of the young Acehnese girl, Putri Erlina, the personal tragedy of suicide was overwhelmed by the public debate that it triggered.
The tragedy illustrates the complicated and contested relationship between secular law and Islamic Syariah in Aceh. The divisions within the journalists’ community over journalistic ethics and Syariah appear to reflect a larger controversy within the public sphere over the lack of a clear consensus on the implementation of Islamic criminal bylaws in Aceh. In this sense, the discussion of press ethics mirrors the broader discussion of Syariah, something that everyone formally “supports,” but which is still highly contested in everyday practice.
Members only
Log in or
Join New Naratif as a member to continue reading
We are independent, ad-free and pro-democracy. Our operations are member-funded. Membership starts from just US$5/month! Alternatively, write to sponsorship@newnaratif.com to request a free sponsored membership. As a member, you are supporting fair payment of freelancers, and a movement for democracy and transnational community building in Southeast Asia.
