George Clooney and Elton John lead celebrity boycott of Brunei following new law to punish gay sex with stoning
Beverly Hills Hotel in LA is also owned by the Sultan of Brunei
GEORGE Clooney and Sir Elton John are leading a boycott of nine of the world's top hotels in protest against the new laws to stone gay people to death.
The Dorchester in London and the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles are among the luxury venues owned by the Sultan of Brunei.
The tiny nation he rules has sparked international fury by introducing brutal medieval punishments under a strict version of sharia law.
Gay sex, adultery and blasphemy are all now punishable by stoning to death.
Thieves will have arms cut off and even children face public whipping for minor offences.
Elton, married to David Furnish, wrote on Twitter: "We must send a message, however we can, that such treatment is unacceptable.
"That’s why David and I have long refused to stay at these hotels and will continue to do so. We hope you will join us in solidarity."
He added: "I believe that love is love and being able to love as we choose is a basic human right.
"Wherever we go, my husband David and I deserve to be treated with dignity and respect - as do each and every one of the millions of LGBTQ+ people around the world."
Clooney also demanded a boycott in a .
'RISE UP'
He wrote: "In the onslaught of news where we see the world backsliding into authoritarianism this stands alone.
"Let’s be clear, every single time we stay at or take meetings at or dine at any of these nine hotels, we are putting money directly into the pockets of men who choose to stone and whip to death their own citizens for being gay or accused of adultery.”
TV host Ellen DeGeneres called for people to "rise up", saying "we need to do something now".
Stephen Fry has also said in the past he refuses to go to the Brunei-owned hotels because of how gay people are treated there.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah - absolute ruler of the oil-rich state on the island of Borneo - runs the Brunei Investment Agency.
It owns the Dorchester Collection of luxury hotels, including 45 Park Lane in London, Coworth Park in Berkshire, the Hotel Bel-Air in LA, Le Meurice and Hotel Plaza Athenee in Paris, Rome's Hotel Eden and Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan.
Meanwhile students at Oxford University are demanded the Sultan is stripped of his honorary degree.
And Aberdeen University said it is reviewing an honorary law degree it gave the Sultan in 1995.
A spokesman said: "The University of Aberdeen is inclusive and open to all.
"In light of this new information this matter will be raised as a matter of urgency with the university's honorary degrees committee."
Social media users have also asked Transport for London to remove advertising posters related to the country from Underground stations.
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The Sultan - one of the world's richest men - instituted Brunei's Shariah penal code in 2014.
The stoning punishment came into force today, according to campaigners who called it "cruel and inhuman".
It only applies to Muslims, who make up two-thirds of the 430,000 population.
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