Brunei and Human Rights Concerns

That the Parliament understands that Brunei Darussalam has introduced a new penal code as of 3 April 2019; expresses deep concern that, among other worrying changes, the death penalty by stoning will be introduced for consensual sex between adults of the same gender and extra-marital sex; agrees with Human Rights Watch that the new penal code is discriminatory and violates many rights of women, children and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, among others; believes that the death penalty in all circumstances is fundamentally wrong, and, in particular, that death by stoning constitutes torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment, which is prohibited under human rights law; supports boycotts of hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei and calls for the stripping of an honorary degree awarded to the Sultan of Brunei by the University of Aberdeen; welcomes that the UK Government has written to Brunei’s Minister of Foreign Affairs to lodge the UK’s concerns; calls on the Scottish Government to do everything within its power to communicate its concerns to the government of Brunei, and offers solidarity to LGBT+ people in Brunei and all other groups affected.