,,iii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #aih  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #i1  
#bjai,mr4 ,durbin 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,young1 ,mr4 ,menendez1 ,mr4 ,rubio1 and
 ,mr4 ,van ,hollen7 submitted the       
following resolution2 which was referred
 to the ,committee on ,foreign          
,relations  ,,resolution  ,condemning   
,brunei's dramatic human rights         
backsliding4  ,whereas ,brunei has been 
led since #aifg by one of the world's   
longest-reigning absolute monarchs1     
,sultan ,haji ,hassanal ,bolkiah2       
,whereas ,brunei gained independence in 
#aihd2 ,whereas emergency powers in     
place in ,brunei since #aifb allow the  
sultan to govern with few limitations to
 his authority2 ,whereas1 according to  
the ,united ,states ,department of      
,state ,brunei #bjah ,human ,rights     
,report1 human rights issues included   
censorship1 interferences with the      
rights of peaceful assembly and freedom 
of association1 crimes involving        

violence or threats targeting           
homosexuality1 and exploitation of      
foreign workers1 including through      
forced labor2 ,whereas ,brunei's media  
are neither free nor diverse1 with      
broadcasting dominated by the state and 
private media owned or controlled by the
 royal family2 ,whereas homosexuality   
has been illegal in ,brunei1 carrying a 
punishment of up to ten years in prison2
 ,whereas in #bjac1 the ,government of  
,brunei announced it was imposing new   
laws that included harsher punishments  
of death by stoning for adultery and    
homosexual relations2 ,whereas          
international condemnation resulted in a
 delay in carrying out the provisions2  
,whereas1 in ,march #bjai1 the          
,government of ,brunei announced it was 
going forward with the penal code to    
take effect ,april #c1 #bjai2 ,whereas  
the law includes1 among other things1   
death by stoning for male same-sex      
relations1 adultery1 and blasphemy1     
amputation of limbs for theft1 caning   

for female same-sex relations1 and      
criminalization of exposure of children 
to the beliefs and practices of         
differing religions2 ,whereas1 on ,april
 #b1 #bjai1 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 cruel1 inhuman or degrading       
treatment or punishment2 ,whereas1 on   
,april #ah1 #bjai1 the ,european        
,parliament adopted a resolution        
strongly condemning ,brunei for         
introducing retrograde laws1 calling for
 their immediate repeal1 urging that    
,brunei uphold its international        
obligations under international human   
rights instruments1 including with      
regard to sexual minorities1 religious  
minorities and non-believers1 and       
suggesting visa bans and asset freezes  
should the laws not be repealed2        
,whereas the ,united ,nations and       
international human rights organizations

 have denounced the laws1 arguing they  
amount to torture and a violation of    
human rights2 ,whereas ,united ,nations 
,high ,commissioner for ,human ,rights  
,michelle ,bachelet urged ,brunei to    
repeal the laws1 which include          
punishments she called cruel1 inhuman1  
and degrading and a serious setback for 
human rights protections42 ,whereas     
,human ,rights ,watch stated1 ,brunei's 
new penal code is barbaric to the core1 
imposing archaic punishments for acts   
that shouldn't even be crimes4 '''      
,sultan ,hassanal should immediately    
suspend amputations1 stoning1 and all   
other rights-abusing provisions and     
punishments42 ,whereas ,amnesty         
,international stated1 ,brunei's ,penal 
,code is a deeply flawed piece of       
legislation containing a range of       
provisions that violate human rights4   
''' ,as well as imposing cruel1 inhuman 
and degrading punishments1 it blatantly 
restricts the rights to freedom of      
expression1 religion and belief1 and    

codifies discrimination against women   
and girls42 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 services1      
increases stigma1 and gives license to  
discrimination1 violence1 and           
harassment3 ,now1 therefore1 be it      
,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 condemns the   
,government of ,brunei's further        
criminalization and barbaric punishments
 regarding sexual orientation1 adultery1
 and relations between persons of the   
same sex2  7#b7 calls on the ,government
 of ,brunei to expeditiously repeal such
 measures2 and  7#c7 supports the       
withdrawal and denial of ,united ,states
 visas for any ,brunei official         
responsible for passage or              
implementation of such laws until they  
are repealed4