George Clooney took a small victory lap on Monday following a decision by the Sultan of Brunei to halt executions for people convicted of adultery and gay sex in the Islamic nation, but the actor said he will continue his boycott of hotels owned by the Sultan until the execution laws are completely off the books.
“This is a huge step forward after a giant leap backwards. It promises that the citizens of Brunei won’t be executed for being gay,” Clooney said in a statement. “Having said that, the law to stone their citizens is still in place. Meaning that as soon as the pressure dies down they could simply start the process of carrying out executions. So in reference to the boycott everyone should do what they feel is correct. For my family and me we simply can’t walk away until this draconian law is no longer on the books.”
On Sunday, the New York Times reported that Brunei had declared a moratorium on executing people who committed adultery or practiced gay sex.
Under a harsh interpretation of Islamic law, the stoning to death of those convicted of those crimes were codified into law last month, leading to widespread international protest. The sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah, said that the country would continue a moratorium on the death penalty as he says has been practiced for decades. However, the newly enacted laws still remain on the books.
In a column in Deadline in March, Clooney called for a boycott of hotels owned by the sultan of Brunei, including the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles. Clooney’s call was answered by celebrities such as Elton John and Ellen DeGeneres.
See Clooney’s full statement below:
“This is a huge step forward after a giant leap backwards. It promises that the citizens of Brunei won’t be executed for being gay. It also sends a very crucial message to countries like Indonesia and Malaysia that there is a cost for enacting these laws. And the cost isn’t folks boycotting their hotels. The cost is that corporations and big banks won’t do business with you. The financial institutions stepping up had a huge impact. Having said that, the law to stone their citizens is still in place. Meaning that as soon as the pressure dies down they could simply start the process of carrying out executions. So in reference to the boycott everyone should do what they feel is correct. For my family and me we simply can’t walk away until this draconian law is no longer on the books.”