A strictly Muslim, and increasingly conservative, province in Indonesia has enacted a law punishing gay sex between Muslims.

The province is the only one in the country that is allowed to implement Sharia law. Gay sex is not illegal in the rest of Indonesia, though it remains a predominantly Muslim, and conservative, country.

The law, passed in 2014 but only now being enforced, forbids same-sex relations between men or women.

"The law is to safeguard human dignity. It is to protect Aceh's Muslims from committing immoral acts," provincial Sharia chief Syahrizal Abbas told the AFP news agency.

The enactment of the law has bought dismay from global and local LGBT rights groups. Ismail Hasani, from human rights group the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace, criticised the law as "cruel, inhumane and against the constitution,” according to the BBC.

Under the new laws, adultery also carries a possible penalty of 100 strokes. Those who accuse someone of adultery without proof could themselves face 80 lashes.