Assembly, press freedom barriers in Msia, UN synod told
Leong Kar YenPublished: Apr 7, 2001 2:11 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
The claims by the Malaysian government that a free media exists in the country because of a small and limited alternative media is misleading, a Malaysian human rights activist said in her speech to a United Nations (UN) conference in Geneva yesterday.
"The handful that survives continues to face a variety of political harassment from time to time, including problems hampering circulation, printing and distribution," Elizabeth Wong told delegates to the 50th session of the UN Human Rights Commission being held in Switzerland.
Wong cited the example of malaysiakini which "Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad was quoted by Bernama as saying that 'these people (malaysiakini) behave like traitors" and that "people who love Malaysia would not support malaysiakini" .
She said other examples include the distribution delays for foreign news publications such as the Far Eastern Economic Review and Asiaweek; Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar warning local staff of foreign news media not to be 'unpatriotic'; the banning last year of independent publications such as Eksklusif, Detik and Al-Wasilah and slashing the publication permit of Harakah, an opposition party's organ, from eight to twice a month.
The UN Human Rights Commission session is held annually among the 53 member states of the commission. It was originally formed in 1947 to draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The present head of the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), Musa Hitam, had chaired the session in 1995.
At the end of the session later this month, members the commission are expected to vote on resolutions censuring countries which have violated human rights.
Tear gas
In her speech, a copy of which was made available to malaysiakini, Wong, who is secretary-general of the National Human Rights Society (Hakam), also elaborated on measures taken by the government to prevent freedom of assembly.
"The right to assemble peacefully is fraught with insurmountable obstacles in Malaysia for opposition parties and pro-reform groups. But pro-government organisations' assemblies rally and protest with ease," she said.
Among the examples she gave were a ceramah in Kedah where 5,000 people were dispersed with tear gas and water cannons; a recent opposition-organised rally against the appointment of former attorney-general Mohtar Abdullah as a federal court judge where police used heavy-handed tactics, and the arrest of members of the public who participated in a 'walkathon' in support of maintaining the SJK (C) Damansara.
Meanwhile, jailed former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim's daughter, Nurul Izzah Anwar, is scheduled to address the commission on the condition of her father who has been warded at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital for the past four months with a spinal injury.
Syed Hamid also addressed the commission's current session which began on March 19 and is scheduled to end on April 27.
"The handful that survives continues to face a variety of political harassment from time to time, including problems hampering circulation, printing and distribution," Elizabeth Wong told delegates to the 50th session of the UN Human Rights Commission being held in Switzerland.
Wong cited the example of malaysiakini which "Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad was quoted by Bernama as saying that 'these people (malaysiakini) behave like traitors" and that "people who love Malaysia would not support malaysiakini" .
She said other examples include the distribution delays for foreign news publications such as the Far Eastern Economic Review and Asiaweek; Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar warning local staff of foreign news media not to be 'unpatriotic'; the banning last year of independent publications such as Eksklusif, Detik and Al-Wasilah and slashing the publication permit of Harakah, an opposition party's organ, from eight to twice a month.
The UN Human Rights Commission session is held annually among the 53 member states of the commission. It was originally formed in 1947 to draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The present head of the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), Musa Hitam, had chaired the session in 1995.
At the end of the session later this month, members the commission are expected to vote on resolutions censuring countries which have violated human rights.
Tear gas
In her speech, a copy of which was made available to malaysiakini, Wong, who is secretary-general of the National Human Rights Society (Hakam), also elaborated on measures taken by the government to prevent freedom of assembly.
"The right to assemble peacefully is fraught with insurmountable obstacles in Malaysia for opposition parties and pro-reform groups. But pro-government organisations' assemblies rally and protest with ease," she said.
Among the examples she gave were a ceramah in Kedah where 5,000 people were dispersed with tear gas and water cannons; a recent opposition-organised rally against the appointment of former attorney-general Mohtar Abdullah as a federal court judge where police used heavy-handed tactics, and the arrest of members of the public who participated in a 'walkathon' in support of maintaining the SJK (C) Damansara.
Meanwhile, jailed former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim's daughter, Nurul Izzah Anwar, is scheduled to address the commission on the condition of her father who has been warded at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital for the past four months with a spinal injury.
Syed Hamid also addressed the commission's current session which began on March 19 and is scheduled to end on April 27.
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