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Women's Rights Groups Demand that US Stop Negotiating TPP with Brunei Until the Sultan Revokes New Taliban-Like Laws
an article by Feminist Majority Foundation
A coalition of women's rights groups have joined the Feminist
Majority Foundation (FMF) in calling for the Obama Administration
to initiate the process of removing Brunei from negotiations on a
prospective Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement with the
United States - or to suspend TPP talks - until Brunei revokes its
new Taliban-like penal code. 
Hollywood stars boycott Beverly Hills Hotel over Brunei’s new laws
click on photo to enlarge
"Women's rights and human rights cannot take a backseat to profit
and trade," said FMF President Eleanor Smeal. "As a global leader,
the United States should not negotiate a free trade agreement with
a country that has enacted laws hostile to basic human rights and
dignity."
Twelve women's rights organizations - including FMF, American
Association of University Women, the Clearinghouse on Women's
Issues, the Institute for Science and Human Values, Jewish Women
International, National Center for Lesbian Rights, National Council
of Jewish Women, the National Organization for Women, the
Women's Global Program of the Communications Consortium Media
Center, Women's Online Media and Education Network, and the US
National Committee for UN Women - delivered a letter to the White
House expressing outrage over Brunei's new penal code and asking
the Administration stop negotiating the TPP with Brunei.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a proposed regional free trade
agreement being negotiated between the US and Australia, Brunei,
Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru,
Singapore, and Vietnam. The TPP addresses a broad range of issues,
including trade in goods and services; regulation of intellectual
property and foreign investments; as well as labor and
environmental rules, among other topics. TPP negotiations have
been ongoing since 2010, with very little information about the
negotiated documents released to Congress or to the public.
"The US must insist that Brunei address human rights concerns by
revoking its penal code before the US continues negotiations with
Brunei on the TPP," continued Smeal. "There is simply no place in a
civilized society for kill-a-gay and flog-a-woman penal codes. Our
foreign policy should make that clear, especially in the execution of
our trade agreements."
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner on Human
Rights has expressed deep concern about Brunei's new penal code
and stated that its draconian punishments would violate
international law. The new penal code, which went into effect on
May 1, is set to be implemented in three phases. The first phase
includes fines and prison sentences for such "crimes" as becoming
pregnant outside of marriage. The second phase includes corporal
punishment, such as amputations and flogging of women who have
abortions. The third phase includes the stoning to death of gay men
and lesbians and those convicted of adultery.
FMF has launched a petition drive and social media campaign
#StopTheSultan calling on the Sultan of Brunei to revoke the
new penal code, and together with Mavis and Jay Leno, held a rally
in Los Angeles, California on May 5 across from the Beverly Hills
Hotel - part of the Dorchester Collection of properties, owned by
the Sultan - to protest the law.
(Thank you to Janet Hudgins, the CPNN reporter for this article.)
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DISCUSSION
Question(s) related to this article:
Protecting women and girls against violence, Is progress being made?
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Latest reader comment:
The 47 CPNN articles devoted to this theme suggest that indeed progress is being made.
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