Indonesian village bans WiFi after children skip religious lessons to watch porn

Village leaders in a conservative region of Indonesia have banned the use of wifi in their locality after children were caught skipping Quran classes to access porn sites, officials said on Monday.

Authorities have ordered half a dozen cafes in Curee Baroh village to shut their cheap WiFi services immediately. 

Curee Baroh is situated in Aceh province - the only region in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country that imposes Islamic law. The province has drawn fire in the past for publicly whipping people found guilty of a range of offences including homosexuality, gambling and drinking alcohol. 

The district in which Curee Baroh sits, Bireun, made headlines this year when it banned men and women from dining together unless they were married or related.  

Officials defended the new edict on wireless internet by saying the service, which cost the equivalent of 21 US cents for five hours' use, was damaging local children's morals. 

"In the past, kids would recite the Quran after evening prayers but since WiFi has become available, they’re hanging out in these shops instead," village head Helmiadi Mukhtaruddin told AFP.  

"They're accessing pornographic images and other sites, which is very damaging to their morals."

The village of 900 people has not yet decided on a punishment for cafe owners who refuse to comply with the order, which was announced on Friday.

In recent years, Indonesian society's lurch toward religious conservatism has challenged its long-held reputation for having a tolerant brand of Islam.