Dont deny me my rights, says Mahathir
Roshan JasonPublished: Sep 7, 2005 6:50 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
"Are they denying me my human rights?"
"Are they denying me my human rights?"
Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad posed this question today in response to the objection against his addressing the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia's (Suhakam) annual conference on Friday.
A group of 30 non-governmental organisations (NGOs), in an open letter to Suhakam on Monday, had called on the commission to strike him off the list of speakers, claiming that he had violated numerous human rights during his 22-year tenure.
However, Mahathir told reporters in Kuala Lumpur that their ability to publicly accuse him of such a wrongdoing itself proved that there is observance of human rights in the country.
He did not show any sign of succumbing to the pressure from the organisations and said he would carry out his obligation.
"I have been extended an invitation by Suhakam and accepted it. I will not pull out from it," he said.
Yesterday, Suhakam said it had chosen the former premier to speak at the event because he has relevant knowledge in relation to this year's theme, 'Human Rights and Globalisation', and that it would not withdraw the invitation.
The event is to commemorate the Malaysian Human Rights Day and the commission's sixth anniversary.
Anwar's sacking
Three NGOs - Suaram, Aliran and Hakam - have boycotted the event on grounds that Mahathir was responsible for grave "human rights abuses".
They led the call for Suhakam to withdraw its invitation to Mahathir, citing such instances of human rights 'violations' as the 'injudicious' sacking of his former deputy Anwar Ibrahim.
Another example was the ex-premier's arbitrary use of the Internal Security Act to arrest, detain and torture political foes and human rights advocates.
Mahathir's alleged unconcern for the indigenous peoples of Sarawak further fuelled the groups' adamance that he is not in a position to speak at a human rights conference.
"The Bakun Dam project was another of Mahathir's white elephants. The government went ahead with displacing 10,000 indigenous peoples even when the project had been shelved during the financial crisis in 1997," read their letter.
"(He) must bear responsibility for the certain ethnocide which was a result of the displacement."
Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad posed this question today in response to the objection against his addressing the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia's (Suhakam) annual conference on Friday.
A group of 30 non-governmental organisations (NGOs), in an open letter to Suhakam on Monday, had called on the commission to strike him off the list of speakers, claiming that he had violated numerous human rights during his 22-year tenure.
However, Mahathir told reporters in Kuala Lumpur that their ability to publicly accuse him of such a wrongdoing itself proved that there is observance of human rights in the country. He did not show any sign of succumbing to the pressure from the organisations and said he would carry out his obligation.
"I have been extended an invitation by Suhakam and accepted it. I will not pull out from it," he said.
Yesterday, Suhakam said it had chosen the former premier to speak at the event because he has relevant knowledge in relation to this year's theme, 'Human Rights and Globalisation', and that it would not withdraw the invitation.
The event is to commemorate the Malaysian Human Rights Day and the commission's sixth anniversary.
Anwar's sacking
Three NGOs - Suaram, Aliran and Hakam - have boycotted the event on grounds that Mahathir was responsible for grave "human rights abuses".
They led the call for Suhakam to withdraw its invitation to Mahathir, citing such instances of human rights 'violations' as the 'injudicious' sacking of his former deputy Anwar Ibrahim.
Another example was the ex-premier's arbitrary use of the Internal Security Act to arrest, detain and torture political foes and human rights advocates.
Mahathir's alleged unconcern for the indigenous peoples of Sarawak further fuelled the groups' adamance that he is not in a position to speak at a human rights conference. "The Bakun Dam project was another of Mahathir's white elephants. The government went ahead with displacing 10,000 indigenous peoples even when the project had been shelved during the financial crisis in 1997," read their letter.
"(He) must bear responsibility for the certain ethnocide which was a result of the displacement."
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