Two women were publicly caned in Malaysia for attempting lesbian sex.

The Muslim women, aged 22 and 32, were caned in front a crowd of 100 people earlier this week in the conservative Malaysian state of Terengganu. They were seated on stools and hit six times each on their backs by female prison officers. Human rights groups have condemned the punishment, saying that it will further discriminate against gay, bisexual, and transgender communities in the region. Amnesty International Malaysia said: "People should not live in fear because they are attracted to people of the same sex." The group's Malaysia researcher, Rachel Chhoa-Howard, said:

"The public caning of the two women in Terengganu is a dreadful reminder of the depth of discrimination #LGBTI people face in the country. "(It is) a sign that the new government condones the use of inhuman and degrading punishments, much like its predecessor."

She went on to say that the caning, which took place on Monday, was a "terrible day" for human rights. "To inflict this brutal punishment on two people for attempting to engage in consensual, same-sex relations is an atrocious setback in the government’s efforts to improve its human rights record," she said. Al Jazeera reports that the punishment is supposed to "educate" women rather than harm them. Muslim Lawyers' Association Deputy President Abdul Rahim Sinwan told the publication that the two women "showed remorse" as they were hit. He said: "Repentance is the ultimate aim for their sin."