Rainbow Wellington will lobby the Government over Brunei being involved in Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations in light of the nation’s plans to phase in laws allowing gay men and lesbians to be stoned to death. A number of US lgbti organisations have written a joint letter to President Obama demanding that the US cease further negotiations of the free trade agreement with Brunei. The TPP is an extension of the deal which already exists between New Zealand, Chile, Brunei and Singapore. "Brunei's new laws are an affront to human rights and basic decency," says interim executive director of Pride at Work Jerame Davis. "The United States, and every other nation considering doing business with Brunei, should immediately cease any negotiations or consideration for that country as a trading partner. Human rights abusers don't get preferential treatment." The new laws in Brunei, which went into effect on 1 May, will be phased in over time. When the third and final phase is implemented, gay men and lesbians, as well as those convicted of adultery, will be stoned to death for their "crimes". “Rainbow Wellington had, with dismay, noticed the Sultan’s enactment of Sharia Law in Brunei,” Chair Rawa Karetai says. “As an organisation committed to protecting and advancing the human rights of all NZ citizens, Rainbow Wellington fully supports the calls US glbti organisations are making to the Obama administration. “We will lobby our Government and other New Zealand political leaders on the inappropriateness of the Sultanate of Brunei being permitted to join the TPP negotiations.”
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 24th June 2014 - 1:23pm