III 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 198 

Condemning Brunei’s dramatic human rights backsliding. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 9, 2019 

Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. YOUNG, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. RUBIO, and Mr. 

VAN HOLLEN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 

the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning Brunei’s dramatic human rights backsliding. 

Whereas Brunei has been led since 1967 by one of the 

world’s longest-reigning absolute monarchs, Sultan Haji 

Hassanal Bolkiah; 

Whereas Brunei gained independence in 1984; 

Whereas emergency powers in place in Brunei since 1962 

allow the sultan to govern with few limitations to his authority; 

Whereas, according to the United States Department of State 

Brunei 2018 Human Rights Report, human rights issues 

included censorship, interferences with the rights of 

peaceful assembly and freedom of association, crimes involving violence or threats targeting homosexuality, and 


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•SRES 198 IS 

exploitation of foreign workers, including through forced 

labor; 

Whereas Brunei’s media are neither free nor diverse, with 

broadcasting dominated by the state and private media 

owned or controlled by the royal family; 

Whereas homosexuality has been illegal in Brunei, carrying a 

punishment of up to ten years in prison; 

Whereas in 2013, the Government of Brunei announced it 

was imposing new laws that included harsher punishments of death by stoning for adultery and homosexual 

relations; 

Whereas international condemnation resulted in a delay in 

carrying out the provisions; 

Whereas, in March 2019, the Government of Brunei announced it was going forward with the penal code to take 

effect April 3, 2019; 

Whereas the law includes, among other things, death by stoning for male same-sex relations, adultery, and blasphemy, 

amputation of limbs for theft, caning for female same-sex 

relations, and criminalization of exposure of children to 

the beliefs and practices of differing religions; 

Whereas, on April 2, 2019, the Department of State said 

Brunei’s new laws and associated penalties run ‘‘counter 

to its international human rights obligations including 

with respect to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment’’; 

Whereas, on April 18, 2019, the European Parliament adopted a resolution strongly condemning Brunei for introducing ‘‘retrograde’’ laws, calling for their immediate repeal, urging that Brunei uphold its international obligations under ‘‘international human rights instruments, inVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:43 May 09, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR198.IS SR198

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•SRES 198 IS 

cluding with regard to sexual minorities, religious minorities and non-believers,’’ and suggesting visa bans and 

asset freezes should the laws not be repealed; 

Whereas the United Nations and international human rights 

organizations have denounced the laws, arguing they 

amount to torture and a violation of human rights; 

Whereas United Nations High Commissioner for Human 

Rights Michelle Bachelet urged Brunei to repeal the laws, 

which include punishments she called ‘‘cruel, inhuman, 

and degrading’’ and a ‘‘serious setback for human rights 

protections.’’; 

Whereas Human Rights Watch stated, ‘‘Brunei’s new penal 

code is barbaric to the core, imposing archaic punishments for acts that shouldn’t even be crimes. . . . Sultan 

Hassanal should immediately suspend amputations, stoning, and all other rights-abusing provisions and punishments.’’; 

Whereas Amnesty International stated, ‘‘Brunei’s Penal Code 

is a deeply flawed piece of legislation containing a range 

of provisions that violate human rights. . . . As well as 

imposing cruel, inhuman and degrading punishments, it 

blatantly restricts the rights to freedom of expression, religion and belief, and codifies discrimination against 

women and girls.’’; and 

Whereas the United Nations High Commissioner for Human 

Rights has also noted that the implementation of these 

discriminatory laws will drive people underground and 

out of reach of life-saving HIV treatment and prevention 

services, increases stigma, and gives license to discrimination, violence, and harassment: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 


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•SRES 198 IS 

1 (1) condemns the Government of Brunei’s fur2 ther criminalization and barbaric punishments re3 garding sexual orientation, adultery, and relations 

4 between persons of the same sex; 

5 (2) calls on the Government of Brunei to expe6 ditiously repeal such measures; and 

7 (3) supports the withdrawal and denial of 

8 United States visas for any Brunei official respon9 sible for passage or implementation of such laws 

10 until they are repealed. 

Æ 


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