One month ago, I submitted this post highlighting gender bias in media reporting of canong punishment in Aceh, Indonesia.

Fast forward to present day, it's still happening.

These articles conveniently exclude men from their title.

Manufactured Outrage

You need to read into a few paragraphes to find out that men were also punishment on that day. This malicious reporting is done to gain more clicks by gathering sympathy. Nothing bring more sympathy and outrage that the sad image of a fragile and weak woman being torture.

Irresponsible Practice

Not only this practice is discriminatory, this practice is also irresponsible as it cause greater stigmatization of men. These reporting practices cause readers to see men as the villains who torture women and can easily get away from punishment (while in reality, men receive the same punishment as the women).

"Real Man Does Not Cry"

These reporting also show public perception toward women who cry and scream during the flogging. The scream and cry of women bring sympathy from all corners. Now, imagine if men react the same way while being flogged. Would he be getting sympahty? It is more likely that he will be seen as crybaby and unmanly if he shows any reaction to the pain.

This video shows a man who got wounded because the cane hits his ear. https://youtu.be/fnLun3sl2vw There is no outrage and no sympathy poured toward this man. This man cannot cry even if he feels great pain. Meanwhile, all women need to do to get sympathy is by crying and screaming.

Misled Outrage

The punishment for being to close with the opposite sex in Aceh Province is caning. The convicted must be hit in back with rattan cane for multiple times. This punishment causes pain to the convicted's back. However, this practice is nothing compared to the more brutal caning punishment in neighboring Malaysia and Singapore.

In Malaysia and Singapore, rattan cane is applied to the convicted's buttocks instead of his back. This procedure causes greater pain and open wound to the convicted's buttock. The Acehnese procedure is done with the intend to humiliate the convicted. The Malaysian and Singaporean procedure is done with the intend to cause pain to the convicted. The Malaysian and Singaporean procedure is derived from British procedure.

PHOTO OF MALAYSIAN PROCEDURE (WARNING: GRAPHIC)

http://www.vreesloosafrikaans.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/3908.jpg

http://www.corpun.com/0images/judicane05.jpg

Caning punishment is also carried out by Singaporean schools to their misbehaving students. By the degree of severity, the Malaysian and Singaporean procedure should have gotten more outrage than the Acehnese procedure.

There's also one more detail about the Malaysian and Singaporean procedure:

Women are exempt from caning punishment.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caning_in_Malaysia
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caning_in_Singapore

Hmm.. I wonder why there is not much outrage toward Malaysia and Singapore. Hmmm..