UN report: Malaysia has abused human rights
Malaysia failed to fulfill its promises despite being elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council, with a laundry list of transgressions taking place when it was serving its term, a human rights reports says.
According to the New Delhi-based Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), Malaysia had not only continued to apply "draconian" legislations, but also failed to stand up for vulnerable groups it pledged to back when it was elected onto the UN council in 2006. "Despite Malaysia's pledge to actively support international action to advance the rights of vulnerable groups including children, refugees, asylum seekers and legal and illegal immigrants, they still suffered and child marriages continued to take place," it said.
When elected, said the CHRI report - entitled 'Easier Said than Done' - Malaysia also made a show of how it had successfully balanced the need for security and the promotion of human rights.
However, in the years that Malaysia sat on the council, the Internal Security Act (ISA) was used against opposition parliamentarian Teresa Kok, a journalist reporting on racist statements by an Umno division chief and a dissenting blogger, Raja Petra Kamaruddin, it said.
Choosing not to re-contest for a spot in the council after it term ended in 2009, Malaysia continued to misuse the ISA to curb religious freedom by detaining nine foreigners attending a purportedly Shii'te meeting in January 2010.
There was also evidence of abuse of the Sedition Act during its term on the UN council, with activists like Wong Chin Huat detained under the ISA for organising people to wear black in protest of the Perak coup.
The year 2009 also saw DAP stalwart Karpal Singh and Mohamad Sabu nabbed for sedition, with the latter's alleged offence being organising a mass prayer on the day a new menteri besar was to take up office in Ipoh.
Malaysia voted only on weak resolutions
The same period also saw the government announce intentions to censor the Internet, while journalists reported harassment, particularly after reporting on the protests over a Hindu temple in Shah Alam.
"Malaysia's Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) remained weak, while discrimination based on religion and ethnicity continued to be a major concern," the CHRI reported.
It also failed to uphold its promise to support the efforts of UN agencies to promote and protect human rights by "discouraging efforts by the special rapporteur on torture" on the death penalty.
CHRI also reported that Malaysia supported weaker resolutions on transgressions in North Korea, Sudan, Congo and Burma, among others, although consistently voting against Israel.
Civil society monitors?
Commenting on the report, Suhakam commissioner Muhammad Sha'ani Abdullah said the commission has continued to take a stand against legislation that goes against human rights, including the right to assemble.
"We are not obliged to repeat the government's position, and we go with human rights principles. (Like the right to assemble) which may be illegal but is a basic human right," Sha'ani said.
The new Suhakam team has been seen monitoring street demonstrations to ensure that police do not abuse protesters.
He said Suhakam is also trying to lobby the government to allow civil society members to be part of the five-person delegation to the UN as a means of keeping the government accountable.
The new Suhakam team has been seen monitoring street demonstrations to ensure that police do not abuse protesters.
He said Suhakam is also trying to lobby the government to allow civil society members to be part of the five-person delegation to the UN as a means of keeping the government accountable.
"This is practised by other countries and is encouraged by the UN. Otherwise Malaysia will continue to vote for human rights resolutions internationally, but won't deliver its promises at home," Sha'ani added.
No comments:
Post a Comment