Protest outside the Brunei-owned Dorchester Hotel

• WE should not be just considering the boycotting of the Dorchester but the withdrawal of British troops from Brunei, (Gay stoning boycott of the Dorchester, April 12).

With the Sultan of Brunei introducing new Sharia laws in Brunei to stone gays and adulterers, there is only one response that will register with him, the withdrawal of British troops protecting him.

It is not good enough for Jeremy Hunt and Mark Field at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office just to say they are disappointed by the introduction of gays and adulterers in Brunei, as the UK opposes capital and corporate punishment.

A far better way would be withdrawing the 2,000 British troops protecting his monarchy in Brunei which consist of an infantry battalion, an RAF detachment and a training unit.

Our troops are defending a set of values which are certainly not in keeping with our own ones by protecting him and his views, so it is time to move on. If nothing else we are complicit with his actions by protecting him.

Interestingly Brunei is being considered for a new British military base in Asia-Pacific by Gavin Williamson at the Ministry of Defence, if his pronouncements before and during the Christmas period are anything to go by.

This idea should be dropped anyway and furthermore since we have a clear incompatibility of our values with those of the sultan. And finally will he be dealing with his notorious playboy brother, Prince Jefri in such matters?

MURAD QURESHI
@MuradQureshiLDN
http://www.muradqureshi.com/