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ocial Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa is working on a draft bill on the practice of chemical castration as a punishment for convicted pedophiles despite issues raised by human rights groups.

According to the minister, the drafting process involves the Indonesia Child Protection Commission (KPAI), the Women'€™s Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry and the Health Ministry.

'€œThe regulation will be in the form of a government regulation in lieu of a law [Perppu]. The Law and Human Rights Ministry, the National Police chief as well as the Attorney General will be the coordinators of the regulation,'€ Khofifah said on Saturday as quoted by Antara news agency.

'€œJudges will have a certain definition of a crime for which perpetrators deserve castration,'€ she said.

Chemical castration does not always mean the mutilation of genitals. In the draft bill proposed, it means injecting the offenders with hormones that reduce their testosterone levels, which will reduce their sexual urges.

The plan, however, has met with objections from several parties.

According to Masruchah, an activist from the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan), such a punishment may violate human rights.

Countries that have allowed chemical castration for convicted child molesters include South Korea, the UK, the US, Russia and Poland. Most of them require a recommendation from a panel of doctors and a report from a psychiatrist before any convicts may be castrated.