Brunei's
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah on Sunday extended a moratorium on the death penalty to
incoming legislation prohibiting gay sex, seeking to temper a global backlash
led by celebrities such as George Clooney and Elton John, Reuters reported on
Sunday.
The small Southeast
Asian country sparked an outcry when it rolled out its interpretation of
Islamic laws, or sharia, on April 3, punishing sodomy, adultery and rape with
death, including by stoning.
Brunei has consistently defended its right to implement the laws, elements
of which were first adopted in 2014 and which have been rolled out in phases
since then.
However, in a rare response to criticism aimed at the oil-rich state, the
sultan said the death penalty would not be imposed in the implementation of the
Syariah Penal Code Order (SPCO).
Some crimes already command the death penalty in Brunei, including
premeditated murder and drug trafficking, but no executions have been carried
out since the 1990s.
"I am aware that there are many questions and misperceptions with
regard to the implementation of the SPCO. However, we believe that once these
have been cleared, the merit of the law will be evident," the sultan said
in a speech ahead of the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
"As evident for more than two decades, we have practiced a de facto
moratorium on the execution of death penalty for cases under the common law.
This will also be applied to cases under the SPCO which provides a wider scope
for remission."
The vastly wealthy sultan, who once piloted his own 747 airliner to meet
former U.S. president Barack Obama, often faces criticism from activists who
view his absolute monarchy as despotic, but it is unusual for him to respond.
The sultan's office released an official English translation of his
speech, which is not common practice.
"Both the common law and the Syariah law aim to ensure peace and
harmony of the country," he said.
"They are also crucial in protecting the morality and decency of the
country as well as the privacy of individuals."
The law's implementation, which the United Nations condemned, prompted
celebrities and rights groups to seek a boycott on hotels owned by the sultan,
including the Dorchester in London and the Beverley Hills Hotel in Los Angeles.
Several multinational companies have since put a ban on staff using the
sultan's hotels, while some travel companies have stopped promoting Brunei as a
tourist destination.