A gay couple suffered a total of 160 whips under Islamic law because they were caught half-naked in a room in Aceh province.

Judicial official in Aceh province, western Indonesia, said two young men over the age of 20 were publicly whipped today, each with about 80 lashes.

The punishment was briefly halted and two people were allowed to drink water before continuing to bear the whip.

"The enforcement of Islamic Sharia law is immutable, no matter who it is, and even visitors must respect the local rules," said public order official Heru Triwijanarko.

The gay couple was arrested in November at a rental house after the owner found them in a semi-nude state in the room.

Homosexuality is not illegal in Indonesia, with the exception of Aceh, the only province in the world's largest Muslim country that applies Sharia law.

In addition to a gay couple, 4 other people were beaten from 17 to 40 whips on the same day for allegedly drinking alcohol or meeting an illegal person of the opposite sex.

Human rights groups condemn the beating of the public whip as a cruel punishment, while Indonesian President Joko Widodo has also called for it to end.

The region began adopting Islamic law after it was granted special autonomy in 2001, a government effort to quell a protracted separatist uprising.