Page - 362 - in Menschenrechte und Gerechtigkeit als bleibende Aufgaben - Beiträge aus Religion, Theologie, Ethik, Recht und Wirtschaft

© 2020, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen ISBN Print: 9783847111658 – ISBN E-Lib: 9783737011655 (Section4(1)),andenshrinesIslamastheofficialreligionoftheState(Section3 (1))withtheSultanat itshead(Section2(2)).14 Brunei is ranked39th inthe2018UNHumanDevelopment Index,amongthe highest of allMuslim-majority countries (SaudiArabia is equally ranked 39th, Qatar is 37th, the United Arab Emirates are ranked 34th), and the 2nd highest rankedof SoutheastAsian countries (lower only than Singapore on9th).15The peopleofBrunei enjoyahigh living standard,donotpay income taxandhave accesstofreehealthcareandeducationfinancedlargelythroughBrunei’snatural oilandgasreserves.16However,it isalsotheonlyStatewithinASEANwhichdoes nothaveaparliament(norgeneralelectionsandanorganisedopposition)oran independent civil society to speakof, andhas technicallybeenunder a stateof emergencysince1962,causedbyafaileduprising.17 Itonly takesthe152ndplace on the 2019WorldPress Freedom IndexofReporterswithoutBorders, with a press freedomsituationcategorisedasbad(thesecond lowest category).18 In October 2013, Brunei adopted the SPCO,19 becoming the first State in SoutheastAsiatoadoptsharialaw.Thisamendmentwas20yearsinthemaking, its drafting having first been announced already in the 1990s, and it was not uncontroversialwithin the government and the royal family: “TheSPCO’s en- actmentreflectsthenowuncontestedinfluenceoftheIslamicbureaucracyonthe Sultan’sdomesticpoliciesandthegradualdefeatof its criticsover thepast two decades.”20TheSPCO’s actual entry into forcewasphasedandsubject tonoti- fication,soitwasnotuntilthenotificationofDecember2018thatthesubstantive heartof thenewlaw–Part IVwhichincludestheoffences–wasscheduledfor3 April 2019.21 14 Constitution of Brunei Darussalam, Revised Edition 2011, see: http://www.agc.gov.bn/AG C%20Images/LOB/cons_doc/constitution_i.pdf (accessedonMay20th2019). 15 UnitedNationsDevelopment Programme,HumanDevelopment Indices and Indicators – 2018StatisticalUpdate,NewYork2018,p. 22. 16 DominikM.Müller,Bruneiin2015–OilRevenuesDown,ShariaontheRise,in:AsianSurvey 56/1/Jan/Feb2016,pp. 162–167,here:p. 162. 17 DominikM.Müller,BruneiDarussalamin2016–TheSultanIsNotAmused,in:AsianSurvey 57/1/Jan/Feb2017,pp. 199–205,here:p. 199. 18 ReportersWithout Borders, Brunei, see: https://rsf.org/en/brunei (accessed onMay 20th 2019).According toFreedomHouse,FreedomHouse,FreedomintheWorld2019–Brunei, see: https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2019/brunei (accessed on May 20th 2019), Brunei ranks as “not free” (political rights 6/7, civil liberties 5/7,with 7being least free). 19 SyariahPenal CodeOrder 2013 of 22October 2013, see: http://www.agc.gov.bn/AGC%20I mages/LAWS/Gazette_PDF/2013/EN/syariah%20penal%20code%20order2013.pdf (acces- sedonMay20th2019). 20 Müller,Brunei in2015,p. 166. 21 Notificationof commencementof29December2018, see: http://www.agc.gov.bn/AGC%20 Images/LAWS/Gazette_PDF/2018/S068.pdf (accessedonMay20th2019). ManfredNowak/Anna-MariaSteiner362 Open-Access-Publikation im Sinne der CC-Lizenz BY 4.0