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<p>The Foreign Secretary spoke to Brunei’s Foreign Minister, Dato Erywan, on 4 April
to express the UK’s concerns about the impact of the Sharia Penal Code. On 11 April,
the Foreign Secretary and I met Dato Erywan and the Finance Minister, Dato Amin Liew,
in London. The Prime Minister wrote to His Majesty The Sultan on 1 May encouraging
the Sultan of Brunei to respond to international concerns.</p><p>We welcome the assurances
thereafter provided by His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei on 5 May; in particular, confirmation
that the <em>de facto</em> moratorium on the death penalty will apply to punishments
under the Sharia Penal Code and that His Majesty the Sultan will commit to ratifying
the United Nations Convention Against Torture. Following this announcement, I again
met Dato Erywan and Dato Amin Liew on 7 May in London followed by a letter from the
Foreign Secretary on 9 May.</p><p>The announcement by His Majesty demonstrates the
importance of engaging in respectful dialogue and diplomacy to address sensitive issues.
The assurances provided by His Majesty the Sultan are positive and go some way to
addressing our anxieties about the human rights situation in Brunei. However, we urge
Brunei to build on these assurances and formalise its commitment to respect individual
freedoms and minorities.</p>
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