"No Platform for Dictator Mahathir," urge Euro NGOs
A coalition of European Human Rights and Environmental NGOs and concerned
residents in Europe has called on the Cambridge University Malaysia Society
(CUMAS) to immediately withdraw the invitation for the Malaysian Prime
Minister, Dr Mahathir to address the conference "Malaysia in the New
Millennium."
The coalition is against giving any platform to Mahathir to speak due to his
very poor record on human rights and environmental issues in Malaysia over
the past 20 years. The Coalition stands firm in its belief that no platform
should be given to an authoritarian leader like Mahathir, who violates human
rights with impunity and who wears his anti-environmental credentials on his
shirt sleeves. The issue of free speech does not arise in regard to Mahathir
when he himself denies freedom and rights to Malaysians, it said.
Mahathir has shown himself to be a gross abuser of human right!
s by allowing
increasing human rights violations to take place under his administration,
the coalition said. Mahathir continues to be instrumental in the crackdown
of peaceful demonstrators, opposition politicians and civil society
advocates under the country's various draconian laws such as the Internal
Security Act (ISA) which allows for unlimited detention without trial. In
addition, there have been various well-founded allegations of physical and
psychological torture of detainees during the initial 60-days detention
allowed under the ISA.
These heinous laws have been used repeatedly by Mahathir against his
political opponents and also against those who support the rights of
indigenous communities to land and forests. The recent high-profile assault
of the former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim while under police
detention by the former Inspector General of Police (IGP) occurred directly
under Mahathir's responsibilities as th!
e then Home Affairs Minister and the
double standard of light-charge against the ex-IGP brought to shame the
political manipulation of Mahathir.
Continuing police brutality against peaceful protestors and the inaction of
the relevant authorities only confirms the lack of respect for basic human
rights by the Mahathir regime. More unnoticed but nonetheless equally
serious human rights abuses continue in the East Malaysian State of Sarawak
against peaceful indigenous communities. Sarawak State, in collaboration
with private companies, have consistently called on the police to frustrate,
intimidate and imprison indigenous communities against their rights to land
and to forest produce. Those who stand up for their rights to protest
against their land rights being infringed have consistently been targeted.
Some members of the indigenous communities have even been shot dead.
There are many more reports of human rights abuses as a direct resul!
t of
unsustainable logging operations in Sarawak. More often than not, corruption
and disregard for fundamental rights of people are the norm in Sarawak's
forest sector.
A group of Malaysian NGOs on a fact finding mission has detailed how the
Penan people of Ulu Baram in the Miri Division have been grossly mistreated
by the police stationed to protect timber companies who continue to this day
to destroy the forest home of the people. The report "Not Development but
Theft - Testimonies of the Penan Communities in Sarawak
" is published by the
Sarawak based NGO IDEAL.
Mahathir must respond positively to the present continuing protests of the
Penan in Sarawak and act immediately to prove that human rights are valued
in Malaysia, said the coalition. He should also act to prevent further
abuses and end environmental destruction and deforestation by logging
companies in Sarawak immediately.
"Just as Mahathir is fond of saying how th!
e Third World should be allowed to
determine its direction, the indigenous people like the Penan should also be
allowed self-determination," the Euro coalition said. "Mahathir cannot say
one thing to the international audience while disregarding the situation in
Malaysia unless he wants to be recognised as a hypocrite!"
There is no "Malaysia in the New Millennium" if unjust and undemocratic laws
continue to curtail people's freedom and oppress the indigenous communities
who speak their mind, and there can be no progress when the nation's wealth
is used to bail out cronies of ruling political leaders, both nationally and
in Sarawak, it added.
This coalition condemns Mahathir's visit and reiterates that he is
unwelcome. The organisers and Cambridge University, which will be hosting
the conference, will only discredit themselves for allowing authoritarian
politicians like Mahathir to speak on their premises.
The above is a condensed ve!
rsion of a press statement dated 29 September
endorsed by:
Forest Monitor,
UK
Bruno Manser Foundation, Switzerland
FERN, UK/Europe
Forest People's Programme, World Rainforest Movement,
UK
Pro Reganwald, Germany
The Netherlands Centre for Indigenous Peoples, The Netherlands
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