KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Brunei has defended its right to implement Islamic laws that would allow death by stoning for adultery and homosexuality against growing global criticism.

FILE PHOTO: Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah attends the retreat session during the APEC Summit in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea on November 18, 2018. REUTERS/David Gray/File Photo

Brunei, a Muslim-majority former British protectorate with a population of around 400,000, will implement the Sharia laws from April 3, punishing sodomy, adultery and rape with the death penalty, including by stoning, and theft with amputation.

The laws, elements of which were first adopted in 2014 and which have been rolled out in phases since then, will be fully implemented from next week, the prime minister’s office said in a statement on Saturday.

“The (Sharia) Law, apart from criminalizing and deterring acts that are against the teachings of Islam, also aims to educate, respect and protect the legitimate rights of all individuals, society or nationality of any faiths and race,” the statement said.

Some aspects of the laws will apply to non-Muslims.

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, 72, is the world’s second-longest reigning monarch and is prime minister of the oil-rich country. He ranks as one of the world’s wealthiest people.

Brunei, which neighbors two Malaysian states on Borneo island, already enforces Islamic teachings more strictly than Malaysia and Indonesia, the other majority Muslim countries in southeast Asia. The sale of alcohol is banned and evangelism by other religions is forbidden.

The country does not hold elections, but any discontent is assuaged with generous government polices including zero taxes, subsidized housing, and free healthcare and education.

The expected implementation of the strict Islamic laws has drawn widespread criticism. Politicians in Europe and the United States have attacked the plans and raised concerns with Brunei.

“Stoning people to death for homosexuality or adultery is appalling and immoral,” former U.S. vice president Joe Biden said in a Twitter post on Friday. “There is no excuse - not culture, not tradition - for this kind of hate and inhumanity.”

Oscar-winning actor George Clooney has called for a boycott of luxury hotels owned by The Brunei Investment Company, such as the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Dorchester in London and the Plaza Athenee in Paris.</s>Brunei defends Islamic laws that will punish gay sex with stoning to death

Brunei has defended against growing global criticism its right to implement Islamic laws that would allow death by stoning for adultery and homosexuality.

Brunei, a Muslim-majority former British protectorate with a population of around 400,000, will implement the Sharia laws from April 3, punishing sodomy, adultery and rape with the death penalty, including by stoning, and theft with amputation.

The laws, elements of which were first adopted in 2014 and which have been rolled out in phases since then, will be fully implemented from next week, the Prime Minister's office said in a statement on Saturday.

Some aspects of the laws will apply to non-Muslims.

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, 72, is the world's second-longest-reigning monarch and is Prime Minister of the oil-rich country. He ranks as one of the world's wealthiest people.

Brunei, which neighbours two Malaysian states on Borneo island, already enforces Islamic teachings more strictly than Malaysia and Indonesia, the other majority Muslim countries in South-East Asia.

The sale of alcohol is banned and evangelism by other religions is forbidden.

The country does not hold elections, but any discontent is assuaged with generous government polices including zero taxes, subsidised housing, and free healthcare and education.

The expected implementation of the strict Islamic laws has drawn widespread criticism.

Politicians in Europe and the United States have attacked the plans and raised concerns with Brunei.

"Stoning people to death for homosexuality or adultery is appalling and immoral," former US vice president Joe Biden said in a Twitter post on Friday. "There is no excuse — not culture, not tradition — for this kind of hate and inhumanity."

Oscar-winning actor George Clooney has called for a boycott of luxury hotels owned by The Brunei Investment Company, such as the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Dorchester in London and the Plaza Athenee in Paris.</s>Brunei has rejected growing global criticism of its implementation of Islamic laws that allow death by stoning for adultery and homosexuality.

The Muslim-majority East Asia state with a population of around 400,000, will implement the Sharia laws from April 3. They seek to punish anyone found guilty by a sharia court of sodomy, adultery, and rape with the death penalty, including by stoning. Those found guilty of theft may face amputation of a limb.

The penalties, which also apply to children, are outlined in new sections under Brunei’s Sharia Penal Code. The legal changes were announced in a discreet notice on the attorney general’s website, as Breitbart News reported.

Brunei first announced the measures in 2013, but implementation has been delayed as officials worked out the practical details, and in the face of opposition by rights groups. Some aspects of the laws will apply to non-Muslims.

The Prime Minister’s office said in a statement on Saturday that it still plans to proceed with the new legislation:

The abolsolute monarchy of Brunei is one of the most developed nations in East Asia, deriving much of its wealth from oil. Its healthcare, education system and public services are heavily subsidised, yet it retains an absolute monarchy with no sign of democratic reform for the foreseeable future.

It is situated on the island of Borneo, which it shares with Malaysia and Indonesia.

Although the new Sharia code is believed to be popular among the Muslim ethnic Malays who make up 70 percent of the country’s population, the laws will also apply to non-Muslims. Around one-third of Brunei’s residents are non-Muslim, including substantial Buddhist and Christian communities.

Oppositon to the plan has been wide, with actor George Clooney calling for a boycott of hotels in Brunei, as well as hotels owned by companies based in the country.

The Beverly Hills Hotel and the Hotel Bel-Air are two parts of the Dorchester Collection, owned by a wing of the Brunei government referred to as the Brunei Investment Agency. They own nine high-end hotels worldwide. The Sultan himself has an estimated net worth of $20billion.

Under secular laws, Brunei already prescribes caning as a penalty for crimes including immigration offenses, for which convicts can be flogged with a rattan cane.

In 2015 the Sultan banned the celebration of Christmas in any form, warning residents of his country that if they plan on celebrating the Christian festival, they could face up to five years in jail.</s>The tiny oil-rich nation of Brunei is set to institute new Sharia laws which include stoning to death homosexuals and amputations for theft.

Under current law in Muslim-majority Brunei, homosexuality is punishable by up to ten years in prison.

But, starting in April, the government plans to amend the penal code to provide that LGBT people and adulterers could be stoned to death.

The new penalty for theft is amputation of the right hand for a first offense, and the left foot for a second offense.

The new penalties, which also apply to children, are in new sections under Brunei’s Sharia Penal Code and will come into effect April 3, Amnesty International said in a statement.

Under secular laws, Brunei already prescribes caning as a penalty for crimes including immigration offenses, for which convicts can be flogged with a rattan cane.

In 2014, Brunei became the first East Asian country to introduce Islamic criminal law when it adopted fines or jail for offenses such as pregnancy outside marriage or failing to pray on Friday.

In 2015, Brunei banned excessive Christmas celebrations for fear that Muslims could be led astray.

Since 1967, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has ruled Brunei as head of state with full executive authority. Public criticism of his policies is extremely rare.

Rachel Chhoa-Howard, Brunei researcher at Amnesty International, said some of the potential offenses under the amended penal code “should not even be deemed crimes at all, including consensual sex between adults of the same gender. To legalize such cruel and inhuman penalties is appalling of itself. Brunei must immediately halt its plans to implement these vicious punishments and revise its penal code in compliance with its human rights obligations. The international community must urgently condemn Brunei’s move to put these cruel penalties into practice.”

Brunei, a former British protectorate of about 400,000 on Borneo island, is the first country in east Asia to adopt the criminal component of sharia at a national level.

“The full implementation of sharia penal law will apply severe penalties against consensual same-sex relations, including death penalty via stoning,” said Ryan Silverio, a coordinator at ASEAN SOGIE Caucus.

Dede Oetomo, one of Indonesia’s most prominent LGBT activists, said it would be a gross violation of international human rights if the changes went ahead. “It is horrible. Brunei is imitating the most conservative Arab states,” he said.

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Login To Your FaceBook to Make Comments</s>KUALA LUMPUR - Brunei has defended its right to implement Islamic laws that would allow death by stoning for adultery and homosexuality against growing global criticism.

Brunei, a Muslim-majority former British protectorate with a population of around 400,000, will implement the Syariah laws from April 3, punishing sodomy, adultery and rape with the death penalty, including by stoning, and theft with amputation.

The laws, elements of which were first adopted in 2014 and which have been rolled out in phases since then, will be fully implemented from next week, the prime minister's office said in a statement on Saturday (March 30).

"The (Syariah) Law, apart from criminalising and deterring acts that are against the teachings of Islam, also aims to educate, respect and protect the legitimate rights of all individuals, society or nationality of any faiths and race,"the statement said.

Some aspects of the laws will apply to non-Muslims.

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, 72, is the world's second-longest reigning monarch and is prime minister of the oil-rich country.

He ranks as one of the world's wealthiest people.

Brunei, which neighbours two Malaysian states on Borneo island, already enforces Islamic teachings more strictly than Malaysia and Indonesia, the other majority Muslim countries in south-east Asia.

The sale of alcohol is banned and evangelism by other religions is forbidden.

The country does not hold elections, but any discontent is assuaged with generous government polices including zero taxes, subsidised housing, and free healthcare and education.

The expected implementation of the strict Islamic laws has drawn widespread criticism. Politicians in Europe and the United States have attacked the plans and raised concerns with Brunei.</s>Even amid a global backlash, Brunei has defended the use of Islamic laws that punish offenders with controversial methods, saying they are in place to "educate" and protect Islam.

Brunei, a small oil-rich country of 400,000 near the South China Sea, will start implementing Sharia laws on April 3, punishing those who engage in homosexuality or adultery by death. They would also punish sodomy, adultery and rape with death by stoning, and theft with amputation.

The laws have been rolling out in different phases since 2014 and will be fully implemented next week, according to a statement on Saturday from the prime minister's office.

BRUNEI DEEMS GAY SEX AND ADULTERY PUNISHABLE WITH DEATH BY STONING

Sharia law, apart from criminalizing and deterring acts that are against the teachings of Islam, "also aims to educate, respect and protect the legitimate rights of all individuals, society or nationality of any faiths and race,” the statement said, per Reuters.

Hollywood icon George Clooney recently spoke out against the harsh penalties for homosexuality, urging a boycott of the legendary Beverly Hills Hotel because its owner is Brunei's leader.

The sultan of Brunei, 72, has stayed in power for nearly 52 years, as the country does not hold elections. Forbes and Time have previously ranked the sultan as one of the wealthiest royals in the world.

“Brunei will begin stoning and whipping to death any of its citizens that are proved to be gay. Let that sink in,” Clooney wrote in Deadline. “Every single time we stay 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.”

Politicians such as Joe Biden have also spoken out against these Islamic laws and the decision by Brunei to impose them.

BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL BRACES FOR FRESH CELEBRITY BOYCOTT AFTER GEORGE CLOONEY CRITICIZES SULTAN OF BRUNEI OWNER FOR SHARIA LAW

“Stoning people to death for homosexuality or adultery is appalling and immoral,” former Vice President Biden said in a Twitter post on Friday. “There is no excuse -- not culture, not tradition - for this kind of hate and inhumanity.”</s>(CNN) — A new law which comes into effect from next week will punish homosexual sex and adultery with death in the small southeast Asian kingdom of Brunei.

Beginning on April 3, any individuals found guilty of the offenses will be stoned to death, according to a new penal code. The punishment will be “witnessed by a group of Muslims.”

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 December 29, 2018.

Human rights groups were quick to express horror at the penal code, which will also order amputation as a punishment for theft.

“Brunei must immediately halt its plans to implement these vicious punishments, and revise its Penal Code in compliance with its human rights obligations. The international community must urgently condemn Brunei’s move to put these cruel penalties into practice,” Rachel Chhoa-Howard, Brunei Researcher at Amnesty International, said in a statement.

There was a broad international outcry when in 2014 Brunei became the first country in the region to adopt Sharia law, an Islamic legal system which outlines strict corporal punishments.

With more international pressure, the small nation said it has no plans to halt the law.

A new statement from the office of Brunei’s Prime Minister says the country has “always been practicing a dual legal system, one that is based on the Syariah (Shariah) Law and the other on Common Law.”

The two systems will run in parallel starting April 3, the statement said, and will “maintain peace and order and preserve religion, life, family and individuals regardless of gender, nationality, race and faith.”

“The Syariah Law, apart from criminalizing and deterring acts that are against the teachings of Islam, it also aims to educate, respect and protect the legitimate rights of all individuals, society or nationality of any faiths and race.”

The tiny, oil-rich kingdom of just over 450,000 people is located on the island of Borneo, close to moderate Islamic nations of Indonesia and Malaysia.

In comparison to its neighbors, Brunei has grown conservative in recent years, including banning the sale of alcohol.

The new penal code was announced in May 2014, by the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, who also acts as the country’s prime minister. In announcing the change, government’s website quoted the Sultan saying that his government “does not expect other people to accept and agree with it, but that it would suffice if they just respect the nation in the same way that it also respects them.”

On March 28, George Clooney called for a boycott of the nine hotels linked to Brunei — three of which are in the UK, two in the US, two in France and two in Italy.

They include the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Bel-Air in Los Angeles, the Dorchester in London and Le Meurice in Paris.

“Are we really going to help pay for these human rights violations? Are we really going to help fund the murder of innocent citizens?” he wrote.

Other world leaders have followed in denouncing the country’s harsh practices and stood by the LGBT community.

He said on Twitter: “I call on the Sultanate of Brunei to withdraw the death penalty by stoning f homosexual acts between consenting adults. The same goes for other countries which have the same cruel & inhuman laws. No one should be criminalized based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.”

The UK’s Secretary of State for International Development Penny Mordaunt said “No one should face the death penalty because of who they love. Brunei’s decision is barbaric and the UK stands with the LGBT+ community and those who defend their rights. LGBT+ rights are human rights.”

And Former Vice President Joe Biden commented on the new law saying it was “appalling and immoral.”

“Every single person on earth is entitled to be treated with dignity and to live without fear,” he said on Twitter. “There is no excuse — not culture, not tradition — for this kind of hate and inhumanity.”</s>BRUNEI — A new law which comes into effect from next week will punish homosexual sex and adultery with death in the small southeast Asian kingdom of Brunei.

Beginning on April 3, any individuals found guilty of the offenses will be stoned to death, according to a new penal code. The punishment will be “witnessed by a group of Muslims.”

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 December 29, 2018.

Human rights groups were quick to express horror at the penal code, which will also order amputation as a punishment for theft.

“Brunei must immediately halt its plans to implement these vicious punishments, and revise its Penal Code in compliance with its human rights obligations. The international community must urgently condemn Brunei’s move to put these cruel penalties into practice,” Rachel Chhoa-Howard, Brunei Researcher at Amnesty International, said in a statement.

There was a broad international outcry when Brunei became the first country in the region to adopt sharia law in 2014, an Islamic legal system which outlines strict corporal punishments.

The tiny, oil-rich kingdom of just over 450,000 people is located on the island of Borneo, close to moderate Islamic nations of Indonesia and Malaysia.

In comparison to its neighbors, Brunei has grown conservative in recent years, including banning the sale of alcohol.

The new penal code was announced in May 2014, by the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, who also acts as the country’s prime minister. In announcing the change, government’s website quoted the Sultan saying that his government “does not expect other people to accept and agree with it, but that it would suffice if they just respect the nation in the same way that it also respects them.”</s>Adultery and gay sex in Brunei will be subject to death by stoning from next week, authorities said, under a strict Sharia law that has been on hold for four years amid heavy criticism.

Rights groups reacted in horror Wednesday to the latest hardline move from the resource-rich nation on Borneo, which practises a stricter brand of Islam than its neighbours Malaysia and Indonesia.

The tiny sultanate will implement the harsh new penal code -- which also prescribes amputation of a hand and foot for theft -- next Wednesday.

Homosexuality is already illegal in Brunei but it will now become a capital offence. The law only applies to Muslims.

The new penalty for theft is amputation of the right hand for a first offence, and the left foot for a second offence.

Amnesty International Wednesday urged Brunei to “immediately halt” implementing the new penalties.

“To legalise such cruel and inhuman penalties is appalling of itself,” Brunei researcher Rachel Chhoa-Howard said in a statement.

“Some of the potential ‘offences’ should not even be deemed crimes at all, including consensual sex between adults of the same gender.”

A notice on Brunei’s Attorney General’s Chambers dated December 29 last year said the provisions will take effect on April 3.

Brunei first announced the measures in 2013 but implementation has been delayed as officials worked out the practical details and in the teeth of opposition by rights groups.

However, a spokesman for the Brunei religious affairs ministry Wednesday said only that Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah was expected to make an announcement on April 3 regarding the implementation of the new Sharia laws.

“Only after the event we will know regarding the date of the implementation of the new laws,” he told AFP Wednesday.

“In terms of readiness, at the moment we are prepared to enforce the amputation of the hand for stealing only. That is all.”

Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch warned that implementation of the law “will quickly drive the country towards human rights pariah status in the eyes of foreign investors, tourists, and international agencies”.

He added: “If this ill-considered plan goes forward, there is every reason to believe the global boycott Brunei movement will re-start.”

Robertson said Brunei will become the only country in Southeast Asia to punish gay sex with death if it pushes through with the law.

Under a shift towards hardline Islamic law, Brunei in 2015 banned excessive Christmas celebrations for fear that Muslims could be led astray.

Brunei’s Sultan is no stranger to controversy at home -- the monarchy was deeply embarrassed by a family feud with his brother Jefri over the latter’s alleged embezzlement of $15 billion during his tenure as finance minister in the 1990s.

Court battles and investigations revealed salacious details of Jefri’s un-Islamic jetset lifestyle, including claims of a high-priced harem of foreign women and a luxury yacht he owned called “Tits”.</s>According to a report by CNN, the new law takes effect from next week, precisely April 3, 2019.

A local penal code demands that any individual found guilty is stoned to death and the punishment will be "witnessed by a group of Muslims."

The South Asian country recently announced some strict laws which have been gradually rolled out in the last five years.

On December 29, 2018, Brunei’s Attorney General’s Department announced the latest phase of implementation of the provisions on its website.

Meanwhile, the penal code also recommends that persons caught involved in theft or robbery be punished by amputation.

Amnesty International has, however, criticised the country over the new laws, which it deems as a clear violation of human rights.

In a statement, a Brunei Researcher at Amnesty International, Rachel Chhoa-Howard, called on the international community to help stop the laws from being implemented.

"Brunei must immediately halt its plans to implement these vicious punishments, and revise its Penal Code in compliance with its human rights obligations. The international community must urgently condemn Brunei's move to put these cruel penalties into practice," she lamented.

This comes after Brunei became the first country in the region to adopt sharia law in 2014.

The sharia law is an Islamic legal system which outlines strict corporal punishments.

It was announced by the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, who is quoted as saying that he "does not expect other people to accept and agree with it, but that it would suffice if they just respect the nation” on its national laws.
Brunei defends its decision, despite global criticism, to implement laws that can punish homosexuality, adultery and rape with the death penalty, including by stoning, and theft with amputation, as of Wednesday, April 3, 2019.