The tiny nation of Brunei enacted new Islamic criminal laws on Wednesday. Under the new laws, gay sex and adultery will be punishable by whippings and stoning. Brunei is an oil-rich country on the island of Borneo.
It has a population of about 4 lakh people and is ruled by the wealthy Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. In 2013, the sultan first announced that the nation would practice strict Sharia law. The first phase was enacted in 2014, which was associated with crimes punishable by fines or imprisonment.
The following phases comprised offenses punishable by amputation or death. This induced global condemnation. Despite the censure, Brunei enacted legislation that allows ruthless punishments. What are the new changes?
The new legislation mandates death by stoning for gay sex, rape, adultery, sodomy, extramarital sex and insulting the Prophet Muhammed. The new penal code also punishes lesbian sex through whipping and theft with amputation and criminalizes teaching children about any religion except Islam. Countries and rights organizations around the world have condemned Brunei’s new laws.
The U.N. human rights chief called the changes “cruel and inhuman punishments that seriously breach international human rights law. Australia, the U.K., France, and Germany have also voiced objections. Meanwhile, Brunei’s Government 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.