A new anti-gay law proposal in Uganda is causing consternation around the world, with countries like the UK and Canada bringing up the proposal in talks at the Commonwealth meeting over the weekend.
The proposal, if introduced into the statute book, could mean the death penalty for Ugandan gays, something which Swedish development assistance minister Gunilla Carlsson calls "appalling" and could have an effect on Swedish aid.
The law proposal is currently passing through the Ugandan parliament after receiving it's first reading last month. Although not officially proposed by the government, the Ugandan government isn't trying to stop it either.
In the proposal anyone caught having gay sex in the African nation could be sent to jail for 7 years, and anyone having sex while knowing they are infected by HIV could even sentenced to death. People working in gay rights organisations could also face prison.
Uganda receives around 50 million US dollars in development assistance from Sweden annually and development assistance minister Gunilla Carlsson says that this money might be in danger if the new law is introduced, as Sweden has already said that the level of human rights in a country could have an effect on the level of aid that Sweden sends.
Speaking to Swedish Radio news over the weekend, Gunilla Carlsson says the thinks the new law is appalling, and adds that the Swedish government has discussed the issue with the Ugandans several times.
"My number two at the ministry, who has direct contact with the Ugandan government has brought it up. We've talked about it in Uganda, and i've also tried to speak to the kind of organisations in Uganda that are the target of the legislation", Carlsson said.
"I'm doubly disappointed", she says, "partly because Uganda is a country with which we have had long-term relations and where I thought and hoped we had started to share common values and understanding. The law itself is wretched, but it's also offensive to see how the Ugandans choose to look at how we see things, and the kind of reception we get when we bring up these issues"
Carlsson says that if the law is introduced, then it will make it more difficult for Sweden to continue to give development assistance to the country.
"It will be made much more difficult", she says. "we've had situations in other countries where we've had to re-channel assistance, to try to work more with NGO's and civil organisations rather than directly with governments, and we also decide to cut down on aid. This gets a reaction of course from the goverment of the country that was receiving the money, but that's the road I have to take", she told Swedish Radio News.
