"Both the common law and the sharia law aim to ensure peace and harmony of the country," he insisted, according to an official translation of his speech. - 'Human rights monstrosity' -But rights groups said the announcement did not go far enough. "This announcement does nothing to address the many other human rights concerns about the (sharia code)." The maximum punishment for gay sex between men under the sharia code is death by stoning, but perpetrators can also be sentenced to lengthy jail terms or caning. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, said that "the entire law is a human rights-abusing monstrosity that should be scrapped.

Source: Bangkok Post May 06, 2019 04:41 UTC