More than 100 LGBTI activists and supporters attended a rally on April 13 targeting the Royal on the Park Hotel which is owned by the Sultan of Brunei who recently introduced the death penalty for homosexuality, adultery, blasphemy and apostasy.
The rally is the first of many actions to oppose the sultanate’s draconian new laws.
Speakers called on people to boycott the hotel to put pressure on the Sultan’s business interests and help force the repeal of the draconian laws.
The laws in Brunei have drawn condemnation from across the globe and sparked the grassroots call to boycott the Sultan’s hotels.
Speakers said it was vital for people to do all they could to stop the slaughter of innocent people since Brunei is a country in our region and a member of the Commonwealth.
They said the campaign was not an attack on Islam, as most of the victims of the new laws would be Muslim citizens of Brunei. One speaker said the corrupt regime in Brunei is perverting religion.
Spokesperson for the Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays Shelley Argent said the situation in Brunei is a human rights emergency. “On Australia’s doorstep, people can now be murdered by their government simply for being gay, or for adultery, blasphemy or apostasy,” she said. “We owe it to our neighbours in Brunei to stand up for their rights.”