Boycott Brunei: Strategies To Oppose The Nation's Laws

In 2019, Brunei introduced strict new laws that made gay sex and adultery punishable by stoning to death. This led to widespread boycotts of Brunei-owned businesses and institutions, particularly luxury hotels in the US and Europe with ties to the Sultan of Brunei. Celebrities, politicians, multinational banks, and companies joined the boycott, with many individuals and organisations calling for others to follow suit.

Boycott Brunei-owned hotels

Brunei's new Islamic penal code, or Sharia law, has caused an international outcry, with countries, rights groups, celebrities, and politicians condemning the new laws. The laws, which came into effect on 3 April 2019, punish gay sex and adultery by stoning offenders to death. In response, there have been calls to boycott Brunei-owned hotels, particularly those under the Dorchester Collection, which is owned by the Brunei Investment Agency, an arm of the Brunei government.

Celebrities, including George Clooney, Elton John, and Ellen DeGeneres, have led the call for a boycott of Brunei-owned hotels. Clooney, in a guest column on Deadline Hollywood, wrote:

> "Let's be clear, every single time we stay at or take meetings at or dine at any of these nine hotels we are putting money directly into the pockets of men who choose to stone and whip to death their own citizens for being gay or accused of adultery."

The Dorchester Collection includes nine hotels:

• The Dorchester, London
• 45 Park Lane, London
• Coworth Park, UK
• The Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills
• Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles
• Le Meurice, Paris
• Hotel Plaza Athenee, Paris
• Hotel Eden, Rome
• Hotel Principe di Savoia, Milan

The boycott has had a significant impact, with reports that the celebrated Beverly Hills Hotel has lost millions of dollars in business due to the boycott. In response to the criticism, several of the hotels have removed their social media accounts, while others have made their Instagram accounts private. Additionally, some businesses have taken action, such as TV Choice magazine, which announced it would no longer hold its annual awards at The Dorchester Hotel, and travel firm STA Travel, which stopped selling Royal Brunei Airlines flights.

Boycott airlines linked to Brunei

In 2019, Brunei introduced strict new laws that made gay sex and adultery punishable by stoning to death. This has triggered an outcry from countries, rights groups, and celebrities, who have called for a boycott of the country and its linked businesses.

One notable way to boycott Brunei is by avoiding its government-owned flag carrier, Royal Brunei Airlines. The airline was established in 1974 and currently serves 32 destinations across southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Oceania. It is headquartered in Bandar Seri Begawan, with its hub at Brunei International Airport.

By avoiding flights operated by Royal Brunei Airlines, you can ensure that you are not directly supporting the Bruneian government and its controversial policies. It is important to note that other airlines may have codeshare and interline agreements with Royal Brunei Airlines, so be sure to check the operating carrier before booking any flights to or through the regions served by this airline.

In addition to boycotting the national airline, you can also avoid staying at hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei. These include nine of the most exclusive hotels in the world, such as The Dorchester in London, the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, and the Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris. By boycotting these businesses, you can help to put pressure on the Bruneian government and show your opposition to their extreme interpretation of Shariah law.

Boycott events at Brunei-owned venues

In 2014, Brunei adopted a strict interpretation of Shariah, or Islamic, law as part of its penal code. The new laws, which were to be introduced in phases, made abortion, adultery, and gay relationships punishable by flogging, dismemberment, and stoning. In response, there were calls to boycott Brunei-owned venues, particularly hotels in the US and Europe.

The Dorchester Collection, a group of hotels owned by the Brunei Investment Agency, an arm of the Brunei government, was the target of widespread boycotts. The hotels include The Dorchester in London, the Beverly Hills Hotel and Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles, Le Meurice and Hotel Plaza Athenee in Paris, 45 Park Lane and Coworth Park in the UK, Hotel Eden in Rome, and Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan.

Celebrities such as George Clooney, Elton John, Ellen DeGeneres, and Stephen Fry led the boycott, urging people not to stay at, meet at, or dine at these hotels as doing so would put money directly into the pockets of the Brunei monarchy, who instituted these laws. Clooney wrote:

> "Are we really going to help pay for these human rights violations? Are we really going to help fund the murder of innocent citizens?"

Other public figures joined the boycott, including designers Peter Som and Brian Atwood, who moved their Fashion Week events out of Dorchester Collection venues. Organizations also cancelled events at the Beverly Hills Hotel, including the Motion Picture and Television Fund's "Night Before the Oscars" charity event and the Feminist Majority Foundation's Global Women's Rights Awards. The city of Beverly Hills also urged the government of Brunei to divest itself of the Beverly Hills Hotel and any other properties it owned in the city.

The Dorchester Collection's CEO, Christopher Cowdray, argued that the boycott would only hurt the hotels' employees and that it would not stop the implementation of the new laws.

Boycott banks that do business with Brunei

In 2019, Brunei introduced strict new laws that made gay sex and adultery offences punishable by stoning to death. This triggered an outcry from countries, rights groups, and celebrities far beyond the tiny south-east Asian nation's shores.

In response to these laws, celebrities including George Clooney, Elton John, and Ellen DeGeneres called for a boycott of nine hotels in the US and Europe with ties to Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. Clooney wrote:

> "Let's be clear, every single time we stay at or take meetings at or dine at any of these nine hotels we are putting money directly into the pockets of men who choose to stone and whip to death their own citizens for being gay or accused of adultery."

Clooney also suggested that people could "shame the banks, the financiers, and the institutions that do business with them and choose to look the other way."

Some of the banks that do business in Brunei include:

• Baiduri Bank
• Standard Chartered Bank
• Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD)
• United Overseas Bank
• Bank of China
• Perbadanan Tabung Amanah Islam Brunei (TAIB)
• Baiduri Finance
• BIBD At-Tamwil

If you wish to boycott banks that do business with Brunei, you could consider withdrawing your money and accounts from these banks and their partners, refusing to engage with their services, and spreading awareness about the human rights violations in Brunei that these banks are indirectly supporting. You could also contact these banks directly to express your concerns and encourage them to stop doing business with Brunei.

Boycott companies that do business with Brunei

In 2019, Brunei introduced strict new laws that made gay sex and adultery punishable by stoning to death. This led to a boycott of Brunei-related businesses, primarily targeting hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei and Royal Brunei Airlines.

The following is a list of companies that do business with Brunei:

Royal Brunei Airlines

Royal Brunei Airlines is the country's state-owned airline. It is a significant company in Brunei, with a large presence in the country's main shopping centre of Bandar Seri Begawan.

The Dorchester Collection

The Dorchester Collection is a group of nine luxury hotels owned by the Brunei Investment Agency, an arm of the Brunei government. The hotels include:

• The Dorchester, London
• 45 Park Lane, London
• Coworth Park, UK
• The Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills
• Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles
• Le Meurice, Paris
• Hotel Plaza Athenee, Paris
• Hotel Eden, Rome
• Hotel Principe di Savoia, Milan

These hotels are some of the most exclusive in the world, and by staying at or doing business with them, customers are indirectly funding human rights violations in Brunei.

Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam

This is the central bank of Brunei.

Brunei Energy Services and Trading

This is the state oil and gas company of Brunei.

Brunei Methanol Company

This company is involved in the exploration and production of liquified natural gas.

Hua Ho Department Store

This is a fixed-line telecommunications company in Brunei.

To boycott companies that do business with Brunei, individuals can avoid staying at, dining at, or doing business with the above-mentioned hotels. They can also choose not to fly with Royal Brunei Airlines or do business with the other companies mentioned. By boycotting these companies, individuals can send a strong message that they do not support the human rights violations occurring in Brunei.

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