Mr President,
Allow me to extend the gratitude of Sweden to His Excellency Mr Pehin Dato Lim Jock Seng, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, for taking an active part in our dialogue.
Sweden welcomes that the people in Brunei Darussalam enjoy free education and health care. We congratulate Brunei on having one of the highest literacy rates in Asia. We are concerned, however, about the restrictions on freedom of speech and of the press. According to law it is an offense to criticize the government, the sultan and his family. There are also reports of self-censorship of the country’s two largest newspapers, and foreign television channels that are accessible in Brunei are occasionally censured.
Sweden would like to recommend the government (1) to end censorship of the media and ensure full freedom of expression,and(2) to sign and ratify the ICCPR (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights).
In the penal code of Brunei it is stated that same-sex sexual conduct is punishable by 10 years imprisonment or fines. At the same time, there are no known reports of the law being used during the past few years. For that reason, Sweden would recommend the Government (3) to amend section 377 of the Penal Code, in order to decriminalize consensual sexual activity among persons of the same sex.
We appreciate that the Minister gave such a thorough explanation of the cultural and social background of the society of Brunei and we appreciate the information material that has been provided on combating domestic violence. We are, however, still concerned about women's and children’s rights and many other areas, such as freedom of religion, arbitrary detentions and the death penalty. Thank you, Mr President