BANDAR BEGAWAN: Brunei introduced Sharia laws, including death by stoning for adultery and gay sex, on Wednesday despite a storm of global criticism from politicians, celebrities and rights groups.
The penal code in the tiny country on tropical Borneo island — ruled by the all-powerful Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah — fully came into force following years of delays.
The laws, which also include amputation of hands and feet for thieves, make Brunei the first place in East or Southeast Asia to have a Sharia penal code at the national level, joining Saudi Arabia and other mostly Middle Eastern countries.
In a televised speech, Sultan Bolkiah calls for ‘stronger Islamic teachings’
Rape and robbery are also punishable by death under the code and many of the new laws, such as capital punishment for insulting the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), apply to non-Muslims as well as Muslims.
Sex between men was already illegal in Brunei and punishable with up to 10 years in jail.
But the new code stipulates death by stoning as a punishment for sex between men, while women convicted of having sexual relations with other women face up to 40 strokes of the cane or a maximum 10-year jail term.
The decision to push ahead with the punishments has sparked alarm around the world, with the United Nations labelling them a “clear violation” of human rights and celebrities, led by actor George Clooney and pop star Elton John, calling for Brunei-owned hotels to be boycotted.
The Sultan called for stronger Islamic teachings, but did not mention the new penal code in a nationally televised speech at a convention centre near the capital Bandar Seri Begawan.
“I want to see Islamic teachings in this country grow stronger,” he said The sultan, who has been on the throne for over five decades, also insisted that Brunei was a “fair” country and the environment for visitors was “safe and harmonious”.
Confirming the new penal code was now in force, a religious affairs ministry official said: “The statement from the prime minister’s office last weekend on (the code’s) implementation prevails, hence (April 3) marks the date of its implementation.”
A second government official confirmed it had entered into force.
The sultan — who is one of the world’s wealthiest men and lives in a vast, golden-domed palace — announced plans for the code in 2013.
The first section was introduced in 2014 and included less stringent penalties, such as fines or jail terms for offences including indecent behaviour or skipping Friday prayers.
At the United Nations, Secretary General Antonio Guterres said via his spokesman that human rights should be upheld everywhere, and Brunei’s new legislation “is in clear violation with the principles expressed”.
The European Union said in a statement that some of the new punishments “amount to torture, acts of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment”.
Hollywood actor George Clooney’s call to boycott nine Brunei-owned hotels in Europe and the United States last week catapulted the issue into international headlines.
Since then, a series of well-known figures have lined up to add their names to the chorus of condemnation.
The sultan, who is the world’s second-longest reigning monarch, first called for the penal code in the late 1990s and it appears to enjoy broad support in the former British protectorate of about 400,000 people.
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.
It is also unclear whether death by stoning will actually be implemented, as a high burden of proof is needed to hand down the punishment and Brunei has not executed anyone for decades.
Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2019