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Human Rights Campaign seeks the halt of Brunei-connected hotels in NYC

The Human Rights Campaign wants to stop the expansion to NYC of Dorchester Collection luxury hotels to NYC, a chain owned by the Brunei Investment Agency, a branch of the Brunei government. At issue is the phasing in of harsh Sharia laws.

“The Sultan of Brunei could start executing LGBT citizens,” HRC President Chad Griffin, said in a statement Thursday. “New Yorkers from all walks of life should have one simple and straight-forward message for the Sultan: Take your business elsewhere,” he added.

Last November, Dorchester Collection CEO Christopher Cowdray told Bloomberg News “we would like to be in New York and that’s really our key focus.”

Cowdray, through a spokeswoman, declined to say whether the chain has revised its plans for a NYC expansion in light of the current backlash, but shared a statement saying, “while we recognize people’s concerns, we believe this boycott should not be directed to our hotels and dedicated employees.”