,,iii ,calendar ,no4 #aci #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 ,mr4 ,van ,hollen1 ,mrs4 ,feinstein1 ,mr4 ,leahy1 ,mr4 ,cardin1 ,mr4 ,sanders1 ,mr4 ,booker1 ,mr4 ,merkley1 ,mrs4 ,gillibrand1 ,mr4 ,cruz1 and ,mrs4 ,shaheen7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,july #i1 #bjai,reported by ,mr4 ,risch1 with an amendment and an amendment to the preamble,strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed in italic,strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic ,,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 ,whereas ,brunei has been led since #aifg by one of the world's longest-reigning 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 #bjah ,human ,rights ,report1 human rights issues in ,brunei 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 a revised penal code 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 penal code includes1 among other things1 death by stoning for male same-sex relations1 adultery1 and blasphemy1 amputation of limbs for theft1 whipping 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 penal code and associated penalties run 8counter to its international human rights obligations including with respect to torture or other cruel1 inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment02 ,whereas1 on ,april #ah1 #bjai1 the ,european ,parliament adopted a resolution strongly condemning ,brunei for introducing 8retrograde0 laws1 calling for their immediate repeal1 urging that ,brunei uphold its international obligations under 8international human rights instruments1 including with regard to sexual minorities1 religious minorities and non-believers10 and suggesting visa bans and asset freezes should the penal code not be repealed2 ,whereas the ,united ,nations and international human rights organizations have denounced the penal code1 arguing it amounts to torture and a violation of human rights2 ,whereas ,united ,nations ,high ,commissioner for ,human ,rights ,michelle ,bachelet urged ,brunei to repeal the penal code1 noting the punishments proscribed as 8cruel1 inhuman1 and degrading0 and calling the code a 8serious setback for human rights protections02 ,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 8,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 girls402 and ,whereas the ,joint ,united ,nations ,program on ,,hiv_/,,aids 7,,unaids7 ,executive ,director ,michel ,sidib stated that the implementation of this discriminatory penal code will drive people underground and out of reach of life-saving ,,hiv treatment and prevention services1 and ,,unaids and the ,united ,nations ,population ,fund noted these kinds of laws increase stigma1 and give 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 ,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 the #bjac penal code2 and 7#c7 supports the withdrawal and denial of ,united ,states visas for any ,brunei official responsible for passage or implementation of such penal code and related laws until they are repealed4 ,july #i1 #bjai,reported with an amendment and an amendment to the preamble