Brunei on Wednesday introduced strict new Islamic laws that will mean gay sex and adultery are punishable by death. The small, oil-rich Asian country has a 420,000-strong population, two-thirds of whom are Muslim. Brunei's government showed no sign of stopping the law or bending to growing international condemnation a press release published on Saturday. "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 statement read. Homosexuality was already illegal in the country and carried a punishment of up to 10 years in prison. What are the laws? The new code includes the following punishments, among other things: Death sentence by stoning for sodomy; Death sentence by stoning for adultery; Amputation for stealing. Bruneian gay community expresses shock and fear Shahiran Shani, a gay Bruneian man who is living as a refugee in Canada, told Euronews he was "scared". You can watch his interview in the video player, above. He fled the country in July 2017 not just because of the rules relating to homosexuality but because he was on trial for sedition for criticising government over rules on small businesses having to make all products Halal. "I was never out or openly gay in Brunei, relationships were difficult, my last relationship was with a Bruneian and the families were suspicious," he said. "It has become really unsafe in the country for people like me." However, Shani thinks it is unlikely authorities will "bother" trying to catch anyone now laws have been tightened as the burden of proof is high. "Homosexuality has always been illegal in Brunei with 10-year maximum sentence," he added. Human rights advocates speak out UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Monday urged the Government of Brunei to halt the entry into force of the revised Penal Code. "If implemented in its current form (the code) would enshrine in legislation cruel and inhuman punishments that seriously breach international human rights law – including death by stoning," she said in a statement. (The code) would enshrine in legislation cruel and inhuman punishments Amnesty International also took a stance against the laws after expressing "grave concerns" over the Penal Code when its first phase was implemented in April 2014. "Pending provisions in Brunei’s Penal Code would allow stoning and amputation as punishments – including for children, to name only their most heinous aspects," said Rachel Chhoa-Howard, Brunei Researcher at the NGO. Celebrities call for boycott of Brunei-owned luxury hotels Hollywood actor George Clooney was among the celebrities calling for a boycott of the luxury hotels owned by the Brunei Investment Agency, which is headed by the country's 72-year-old sultan. “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," he wrote in an opinion article for Deadline website. Singer Elton John echoed this on Twitter, commending Clooney for taking a stand against "anti-gay discrimination and bigotry". Lawmakers express condemnation Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz called on the Sultanate of Brunei to withdraw the death penalty by stoning for homosexual acts. "No one should face the death penalty because of who they love," said Penny Mordaunt, UK secretary of state for international development, adding "Brunei’s decision is barbaric and the UK stands with the LGBT+ community." Former US Vice President Joe Biden tweeted: "Stoning people to death for homosexuality or adultery is appalling and immoral." London transport network takes a stand Following the public outcry surrounding the newly introduced law, reports suggested London's transport operator, TfL, had removed adverts in a campaign by Royal Brunei Airlines promoting the country as “an abode of peace”. “The advertisement was considered compliant with our advertising policy when it was submitted and accepted," a spokesperson for the network told Euronews in an email. "However, given recent information that has come to light, it is clear that this is an issue of great public sensitivity and controversy so the advert will be removed from our network. "Any proposed future campaign would be reviewed against our advertising policy, and this information would be considered in any decision.”<doc-sep>See the recovery efforts in Gaza as ceasefire appears to hold 'Is everything I'm trying to do pointless? ': Syrians helpless in face of 'sham' election Brother of journalist detained in Myanmar says family is hopeful Report: US companies may have benefited from forced labor of Uyghurs Residents stand near stalls along a road amidst debris while strong winds batter Balasore district in Odisha state on May 26, 2021 as Cyclone Yaas barrels towards India's eastern coast in the Bay of Bengal. (Photo by Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP) (Photo by DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP via Getty Images) France's President Emmanuel Macron (L) and Rwanda's President Paul Kagame speak as they walk in the grounds of The Presidential Palace in Kigali on May 27, 2021, after their press conference and prior to their official luncheon. - French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Rwanda on May 27, 2021, for a highly symbolic visit aimed at moving on from three decades of diplomatic tensions over France's role in the 1994 genocide in the country. Macron is the first French leader since 2010 to visit the East African nation, which has long accused France of complicity in the killing of some 800,000 mostly Tutsi Rwandans. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP) (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images) Relative of detained Iranian-Americans fears they will not survive The Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah (C) and Jordan's (unseen) review the honour guard at the Royal Palace in Amman, on October 4, 2018. - The Sultan of Brunei is on an official visit in Jordan. (Photo by KHALIL MAZRAAWI / AFP) (Photo credit should read KHALIL MAZRAAWI/AFP/Getty Images) (CNN) — A law goes into effect Wednesday in Brunei that will punish adultery and homosexual sex with death. Anyone found guilty of the offenses will be stoned to death, according to a new penal code based on Sharia law, an Islamic legal system that outlines strict corporal punishments. The strict new laws were announced by the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, in 2014 and have been rolled out gradually in the small nation on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. The latest phase of implementation, including the brutal new provisions, was quietly announced on the Brunei attorney general’s website in December. The Sultan “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,” according to the government website. The country has no plans to halt the law amid international pressure, according to a statement from the office of Brunei’s Prime Minister released Saturday. “Brunei Darussalam is a sovereign Islamic and fully independent country and, like all other independent countries, enforces its own rule of law,” the statement said. Brunei government agencies have not responded to CNN’s inquiries. The controversial proposal has provoked strong opposition in some quarters, and actor George Clooney called for the immediate boycott of hotels owned by the Brunei Investment Group, which is controlled by the Sultan of Brunei, in an op-ed he wrote for Deadline. Here are some of the reactions from around the world: ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP/AFP/Getty Images/File Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Queen Saleha ride in a 2017 procession to mark his golden jubilee. Governments and politicians US Department of State The State Department said it is “concerned” by Brunei’s decision, and “some of the punishments in the law appear inconsistent with international human rights obligations,” a department representative said in a statement. “Governments have an obligation to ensure that all people, including LGBTI people, can freely enjoy the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms to which they are entitled,” the statement said. “We strongly oppose human rights violations and abuses against LGBTI persons, including violence, the criminalization of LGBTI status or conduct, and serious forms of discrimination.” Frank Franklin II/AP Former US Vice President Joe Biden is among the political figures condemning the new law. Former US Vice President Joe Biden Biden shared a CNN article on the new law on his official Twitter account, writing, “Stoning people to death for homosexuality or adultery is appalling and immoral. Every single person on earth is entitled to be treated with dignity and to live without fear. There is no excuse – not culture, not tradition – for this kind of hate and inhumanity.” Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz Kurz says Brunei’s decision to introduce the death penalty for gay sex is “cruel and inhumane” and should be withdrawn. In a statement on Twitter, ‏Kurz said: “I call on the Sultanate of Brunei to withdraw the death penalty by stoning (of) 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.” Australian Sen. Penny Wong Brunei’s penal code would be in breach of the UN Declaration of Human Rights, Wong posted in a statement on Twitter. “(Australia’s) Labor (Party) is deeply concerned by the Brunei government’s plans to implement new laws that would see adultery and homosexual acts between consenting adults punishable by death,” she tweeted. Penny Mordaunt, UK secretary of state for international development “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,” Mordaunt said on Twitter. “LGBT+ rights are human rights.” Helen Clark, former New Zealand Prime Minister Clark said the introduction of the new penal code is “shocking news” and “provides for death by stoning as punishment for gay sex.” “Hard to comprehend what could be driving such a barbaric move which stands in stark opposition to fundamental #humanrights principles,” she tweeted. Golriz Ghahraman, human rights lawyer and a member of the New Zealand Parliament “I’ve said I will be raising it with the ministers involved (trade and foreign affairs). We buy crude oil and sell dairy to Brunei so should consider our leverage there as well as diplomatically to express our outrage,” Ghahraman wrote on Twitter. Rights groups Amnesty International “Pending provisions in Brunei’s Penal Code would allow stoning and amputation as punishments – including for children, to name only their most heinous aspects,” Rachel Chhoa-Howard, Brunei researcher at Amnesty International, wrote in a statement this week. “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.” The Brunei Project “The Brunei Project does not currently support a boycott of Brunei-owned businesses and we do not believe that such an approach will be productive,” the rights group wrote on Facebook. “While the boycott campaigns that emerged in the United States and elsewhere in 2014 were useful in drawing attention to what was happening in Brunei, the boycotts did not enjoy widespread support from within the country, where they were viewed as being a direct attack on the people of Brunei and the country as a whole, rather than the policies and laws of the Brunei Government.” However, the group underlined its support for dialogue to end “abhorrent laws,” including the use of torture. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Paramount Pictu In an opinion piece, actor George Clooney urged a boycott of hotels with links to Brunei. Celebrities Elton John The British music legend praised Clooney’s stance on Twitter, adding that he and his husband David Furnish “have long refused to stay at these hotels and will continue to do so.” We must send a message, however we can, that such treatment is unacceptable. That’s why David and I have long refused to stay at these hotels and will continue to do so. We hope you will join us in solidarity. — Elton John (@eltonofficial) March 30, 2019 John tweeted out a list of hotels, encouraging followers to join in the boycott. “Our hearts go out to the good, hardworking employees of properties owned by the Sultan of Brunei, many of whom we know to be gay,” he wrote. Jamie Lee Curtis<doc-sep>The tiny nation of Brunei introduced severe penalties for gay sex and adultery — stoning to death and whipping — despite global condemnation. Key points: Same-sex relations, adultery and rape can be punished by stoning or whipping in Brunei Same-sex relations, adultery and rape can be punished by stoning or whipping in Brunei The wealthy Sultan of Brunei is introducing the laws after more than 50 years in power The wealthy Sultan of Brunei is introducing the laws after more than 50 years in power Observers believe the Government wants to keep citizens in line as the economy falters Made up of two small slivers of land on the island of Borneo, the oil-rich country of about 400,000 people is ruled by the extravagantly wealthy Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who also acts as Prime Minister. The Muslim-majority nation became the first East Asian country to adopt strict Sharia law in 2014, but in the face of widespread outrage backed down on the implementation of the most severe punishments. But the former British protectorate has been rolling out the new penal code in stages since then — taking campaigners by surprise with the quiet introduction of the final phase that will make Brunei's the harshest Sharia law in the region. Sharia courts in the Indonesian state of Aceh, as well as Terengganu in Malaysia, have imposed caning as a punishment in the past. ( Supplied What does the legislation say? Under Brunei's laws, sodomy — whether between two men or an unmarried heterosexual couple — can be punished by being stoned to death or whipped with 100 strokes. Adultery attracts the same forms of punishment, but as with sodomy it applies only if the accused admits their involvement or at least four eyewitnesses testify. If a person is convicted by other evidence, they still face being flogged up to 30 times and imprisoned for up to seven years. Penalties for women who have sex with other women are less severe, but they can still be whipped up to 40 times and jailed for 10 years. Non-Muslims are not exempt — they face exactly the same punishments for adultery or sodomy if their partner is Muslim. It is not clear if two non-Muslims would be punished. Also in Brunei's Sharia penal code is the punishment of armed robbery with the amputation of the offender's right hand or left foot, and the whipping of Muslims caught drinking alcohol. Women also face jail terms for giving birth outside of wedlock or having an abortion. Who's the rich royal behind it? The 72-year-old Sultan of Brunei is thought to be one of the richest people on earth, with billions of dollars to his name thanks to Brunei's abundant oil riches. He lives in a lavish 1,788-room palace and reportedly owns an estimated 150 homes, 7,000 cars, and several aircraft. The royal family has been criticised by activists such as The Brunei Project's Matthew Woolfe for their "hypocrisy" in living a decadent lifestyle while expecting Islamic piety from their Bruneian citizens. The Nurul Iman Palace is the largest royal residence in the world. ( Reuters: Ahim Rani Prince Jefri Bolkiah, the Sultan's younger brother, has the most notorious reputation in the House of Bolkiah. According to a Vanity Fair profile, the playboy prince once owned a yacht he called Tits, dubbing its tenders Nipple 1 and Nipple 2. The magazine also claimed that when the brothers partied together in the 1980s and 1990s, they allegedly indulged in some of the very practices that will now be outlawed in Brunei. "Afforded four wives by Islamic law, they left their multiple spouses and scores of children in their palaces while they allegedly sent emissaries to comb the globe for the sexiest women they could find in order to create a harem the likes of which the world had never known," Vanity Fair reported. The two brothers later had a falling out over Prince Jefri's alleged mismanagement of vast sums of Brunei's wealth. Ten countries have introduced the death penalty for being LGBT, but only some carry out the punishment in practice. ( ABC News: Jarrod Fankhauser Why is this happening now? Mr Woolfe, an Australia-based campaigner who said he was banned from entering Brunei in 2016, said there are a number of theories circulating among observers. One is that the ageing Sultan is now looking to secure his legacy after more than 50 years on the throne — and perhaps paper over some of his family's indiscretions in the process. Another widely discussed possibility is that as Brunei's oil reserves begin to decline and the once-buoyant economy softens, there are concerns that discontent could start to simmer in a nation that has never held elections. Generous government subsidies and zero income tax have long kept the populace compliant, but with unemployment growing and an uncertain post-oil future, the speculation is that Sharia law could be a new way to keep people in line. Finally, Mr Woolfe said, the Government could also be striving to become more appealing to strict Islamic countries by mirroring their Sharia laws, in order to attract investment and Muslims tourists. What has been the reaction in Australia and beyond? George Clooney has been joined by several celebrities, including Elton John, in his boycott of Brunei-owned hotels. ( Reuters: Lucy Nicholson The Australian Government has condemned the laws described by the United Nations as "cruel and inhuman", with Foreign Minister Marise Payne saying that she had raised concerns directly with her counterpart in Brunei. "We absolutely oppose the death penalty and are committed to the rights of LGBTI people. We will continue to advocate for human rights in the region & beyond," she wrote in a Tweet. Celebrities George Clooney and Elton John are leading a boycott of a luxury international hotel chain owned by the Sultan, and a petition has been set up calling on the Government to ban Royal Brunei Airlines from flying to Australia. Loading So what does Brunei say about it? Brunei's Government, for its part, has defended the legislation, saying in a statement that the Sharia penal code "aims to educate, respect and protect the legitimate rights of all individuals, society or nationality of any faiths and race." Mr Woolfe said it was difficult to gauge the reaction among people in Brunei as people tend to be guarded about expressing themselves openly, but that there was a mix of supporters and opposition to the legislation. "Certainly you do see a lot of the supporters are happy to come out and say they support the laws because there's no risk to them by saying those things," he said. "[But] the people I have close contact with inside the country are very, very concerned about these laws and what the future may hold for them and for the country."<doc-sep>
Brunei’s small underground LGBT community has expressed shock and dismay over Brunei’s plan to bring in the punishment of death by stoning for adultery and gay sex. The laws were scheduled to be introduced on Wednesday in the tiny south-east Asian kingdom ruled by the all-powerful Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. The new punishments, which also include amputation of hands and feet for thieves, will make Brunei the first country in east or southeast Asia to have a sharia penal code at the national level. Several mostly Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia also adhere to sharia law. The penal code was formally published in 2013 but the government said the laws would be enacted over a period of several years, with the most controversial delayed after international outcry. The laws have caused dismay in Brunei’s small, underground LGBT community, which until now had lived in a “pink bubble”, according to an LGBT activist familiar with the country. In a nation where homosexuality was already outlawed, the delays over the law had created a false sense of security, said Ryan Silverio, an LGBT rights activist from the human rights network SOGIE Caucus, who visited Brunei several years ago. “At that time there was one LGBT person and she said: ‘Look at how I dress, look at how I act, am I being arrested by the police?’ And then a few others said, I think we are okay as long as we don’t rock the boat, have parades and announce our sexuality,” Silverio said. “So my impression as an outsider was that they were enjoying a certain sense of comfort, but I perceived it as living in a pink bubble.” “Now that the law is out there it is a shock for LGBT folks in Brunei,” said Silverio, “That it can be enforced and what are we going to do now.” Among LGBT people in Brunei there was now a pervasive sense of fear and a desire to leave the country, the Guardian has learned.Several have left already, seeking asylum in countries such as Canada. Three LGBT people in Brunei declined to speak to the Guardian because they were frightened of the new laws. The new punishments have also been greeted by shock from abroad, sparking international condemnation from human rights groups and celebrities. The United Nations labelled the laws “cruel and inhumane” and well-known figures have lined up to add to their names to the chorus of condemnation, including former US vice president Joe Biden and actress Jamie Lee Curtis. George Clooney and pop star Elton John have called for Brunei-owned hotels to be boycotted. The foreign ministries of Germany, France and Australia have protested the plan and called on Brunei to scrap the laws. Australia has raised our concerns with the Brunei government on the introduction of the full Syariah Penal Code today. We absolutely oppose the death penalty & are committed to the rights of LGBTI people. We will continue to advocate for human rights in the region & beyond. @dfat — Marise Payne (@MarisePayne) April 3, 2019 But the sultan shows no sign of backing down, and the Muslim-majority country issued a statement at the weekend insisting that Brunei “enforces its own rule of law”. In a public address on Wednesday, he called for “stronger” Islamic teachings in the country and said said that Brunei was “fair and happy”. He said that he wanted the Muslim call to prayer to ring out in all public places, not just in mosques, to remind people of their Islamic duties. “Anyone who comes to visit this country will have a sweet experience, and enjoy the safe and harmonious environment,” he said, failing to mention the controversial new laws. The sultan – who is one of the world’s wealthiest men and lives in a vast, golden-domed palace – announced plans for the penal code in 2013 and the first phase was introduced the following year. This included less stringent penalties, such as fines or jail terms for offences including indecent behaviour, failure to attend Friday prayers, and out-of-wedlock pregnancies. Phil Robertson, Asia deputy director for Human Rights Watch, said: “This kind of law doesn’t belong in the 21st century. It’s going to be something that will turn Brunei into a human rights pariah.” Analysts say he is seeking to burnish his Islamic credentials and shore up support among the country’s conservatives due to the waning fortunes of the oil-dependent economy, which has been ravaged by recession in recent years.