Brunei makes U-turn on law which would see gay people stoned to death

The southeast Asian nation of Brunei has made U-turn on plans to implement a law which would punish gay people with the death penalty.

Reuters reports that the small nation had revealed legislation - the Syariah Penal Code Order (SPCO) - on April 3, which would punish sodomy, adultery and rape with death - its own interpretation of Muslim Sharia law.

A global backlash was triggered, with celebrities including Elton John and George Clooney speaking out about the laws.

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah said yesterday that while similar laws have been in place for decades for crimes such as premeditated murder and drug trafficking, no executions have taken place since the 1990s, and a similar moratorium will be in place for the new law.

"I am aware that there are many questions and mis-perceptions 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," he said in a speech.

"As evident for more than two decades, we have practised 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.

"Both the common law and the Syariah law aim to ensure peace and harmony of the country.

"They are also crucial in protecting the morality and decency of the country as well as the privacy of individuals."

The United Nations had also condemned the law and some travel companies had stopped promoting Brunei as a destination.