International condemnation following the introduction of new anti-gay laws in the Kingdom of Brunei
On 3 April 2019, the Kingdom of Brunei introduced strict new laws which will punish acts of homosexual sex and adultery.
Any individuals found guilty of the offences will be stoned to death or whipped, according to the new penal code.
The new laws in the tiny, oil-rich monarchy, also includes the death penalty for adultery and rape, and amputation for theft.
The country's strict new laws were announced in 2014 and have been rolled out gradually. The latest phase of implementation, including the brutal new provisions, was quietly announced on the Brunei Attorney General's website on 29 December 2018.
The introduction of the new laws has sparked international condemnation.
Human rights groups were quick to express horror at the penal code.
Amnesty International, condemned the punishments, which it states would also apply to children, as "vicious".
Human Rights Watch stated Brunei's new penal code was "barbaric to the core" and called for the immediate suspension of "amputations, stoning, and all other rights-abusing provisions and punishments".
Under international human rights law, corporal punishment in all its forms or other cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment, constitutes torture and is prohibited.
Brunei's Gay Community has expressed shock and fear at the "medieval punishments".
A Bruneian gay man, who did not want to be identified, told the BBC that: "You wake up and realise that your neighbours, your family or even that nice old lady that sells prawn fritters by the side of the road does not think you are human, or is okay with stoning”.
Celebrities including actor George Clooney, comedian Ellen DeGeneres, musician Elton John and tennis star Billie Jean King have called for a boycott of nine hotels owned by the country, which include Hotel Bel-Air and the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, Principe di Savoia in Milan and Le Meurice in Paris.
In an article published on the entertainment news website Deadline, George Clooney wrote: "Every single time we stay at, or take meetings at or dine at any of these nine hotels, we are putting money directly into the pockets of men who choose to stone and whip to death their own citizens for being gay or accused of adultery.”
Ellen DeGeneres wrote on Instagram: " We need to do something now. Raise your voices now. Spread the word. Rise Up."
A British TV Awards Show have joined a growing boycott of businesses owned by the Kingdom of Brunei.
TV Choice Magazine announced on Twitter that the annual TV Choice Awards would no longer take place at London's Dorchester Hotel, which operates under the Dorchester Collection brand, a luxury chain owned by the Sultan of Brunei.
London based newspaper the Financial Times stated in an article on its website that it would cancel a planned event at the Dorchester Hotel and would not use any other Dorchester Collection Hotels.
Deutsche Bank announced in a statement that its employees would no longer use Dorchester Hotels on company business.
The Bank’s Investment Chief Risk Officer, Stuart Lewis stated that: "The new laws introduced by Brunei breach the most basic human rights, and we believe it is our duty as a firm to take action against them. We are proud to support LGBTIQ rights around the world, and as part of this we regularly review our business partnerships to ensure that they are aligned with this principle".
In a statement on its website, the Dorchester Collection Hotels stated: "We do not tolerate any form of discrimination, we never have and we never will. We understand people's anger and frustration, but this is a political and religious issue that we do not believe should be played out in our Hotels and amongst our 3,630 employees. We are deeply saddened by what is happening right now and the impact it is having on our employees, guests, partners and suppliers in particular. Our values are far removed from the politics of ownership."
London’s transport network, Transport for London (TFL) has agreed to take down advertising by Brunei and its government-owned airline Royal Brunei Airlines, after members of the public condemned the country’s new strict LGBT laws.
London Assembly member Tom Copely wrote a letter to the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, calling for the removal of the ads. In the letter, posted to Twitter, Mr Copley stated: “The Public Sector Equality Duty includes eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and discrimination and other conduct prohibited by the act. I am therefore writing to you in your capacity of Chair of TFL to ask that TFL no longer accepts Royal Brunei Airlines’ adverts or takes their money.”
STA Travel, which focuses on travel for students and young people, stated on Twitter that it would no longer sell flights on Brunei's national carrier, Royal Brunei Airlines, in protest at recent changes to the law in Brunei.
In a statement to CNN, STA Travel stated that: “We are proud of our open and diverse culture and we expect our partners to demonstrate the same. We have taken this stance to add our voice to the calls on Brunei to reverse this change in the law and in support of LGBTQI people everywhere. Customers who have already bought flights on Royal Brunei Airlines will be refunded if they no longer wish to fly with them”.
It remains to be seen if the strong condemnation being expressed will exert sufficient pressure and business boycotts will have the desirable consequences on the country’s economy to persuade Brunei to remove its strict new laws.