The United Nations joined Singapore’s gay community in criticizing a decision of a top court to uphold a law criminalizing sex between men.
The UN’s Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said it is “disappointed” with the ruling of Singapore’s highest court to declare constitutional a law that sets a two-year jail term for men who engage in acts of “gross indecency” in public or private.
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“The Office said using criminal law to prosecute individuals for engaging in consensual same-sex conduct violates a host of human rights guaranteed by international law, including the right to privacy and the right to freedom from discrimination,” read the statement issued on Friday, October 31.
It added, “The Office regrets that the courts have missed this opportunity to strike down this law.”
The UN’s statement echoed the sentiment of local activists including Pink Dot Sg, which organizes an annual gay rights rally. On its website, the group and other advocates said it was “greatly shocked and disappointed” with the decision.
“It is not an imposition for a segment to seek the same rights as the rest of society. To be viewed as equal in the eyes of the law, to feel safe at home, and to be protected against discrimination, mistreatment, even physical and emotional harm, is a right to which every Singaporean should be entitled, and not denied on the basis of whom they love,” Pink Dot Sg said.
The UN’s Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said it is “disappointed” with the ruling of Singapore’s highest court to declare constitutional a law that sets a two-year jail term for men who engage in acts of “gross indecency” in public or private.
On Wednesday, Singapore’s Court of Appeal ruled that the law banning and criminalizing sex between men is in line with the Constitution, and does not infringe on human rights. The court said it was up to parliament to repeal the British colonial era law.“While this law is rarely invoked in Singapore, it nonetheless codifies discrimination and contributes to societal stigma against individuals who are gay,” the Geneva-based OHCHR said.
The court rejected the appeal of 3 Singaporean citizens, including a gay couple in a relationship for 15 years, and a man who was arrested for allegedly engaging in oral sex with another man in a toilet cubicle in a mall in 2010.
The law first introduced in 1938 is not actively enforced. It does not target sex between female homosexuals.
Still, the UN said that the frequency of the law’s implementation does not justify its existence.
It added, “The Office regrets that the courts have missed this opportunity to strike down this law.”
The UN’s statement echoed the sentiment of local activists including Pink Dot Sg, which organizes an annual gay rights rally. On its website, the group and other advocates said it was “greatly shocked and disappointed” with the decision.
“It is not an imposition for a segment to seek the same rights as the rest of society. To be viewed as equal in the eyes of the law, to feel safe at home, and to be protected against discrimination, mistreatment, even physical and emotional harm, is a right to which every Singaporean should be entitled, and not denied on the basis of whom they love,” Pink Dot Sg said.