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Malaysia greenlights visit by UN rapporteur

Visit to follow 'serious assault' on freedom of expression
Malaysia greenlights visit by UN rapporteur

Malaysian protesters gather outside the UN offices in Geneva

Published: June 03, 2013 10:57 AM GMT
Updated: June 03, 2013 12:08 AM GMT

Malaysia has agreed to allow an official visit by Frank La Rue, the United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of expression, a British-based rights activist said on Sunday.

“We now need to push the government to give firm dates,” said Yolanda Augustin, a member of a delegation to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva last week.

But the invitation was important, she told ucanews.com. “After the UN working group on arbitrary detention visited in 2010, the government abolished the ISA [Internal Security Act], after further pressure, of course.”

The ISA was a British colonial measure allowing detention without trial. Activists are now demanding repeal of the Sedition Act, another colonial hangover which they say is being used to stifle dissent following the disputed May 5 general election.

Two MPs of the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR, or People’s Alliance), Chua Tian Chang and Tamrin Ghafar, along with two activists, Haris Ibrahim and student Adam Adli, have been charged with sedition under this act.

Augustin’s delegation presented evidence to the UNHRC on behalf of two rights groups, Suaram and Aliran.

Malaysia’s official statement to the meeting, they said, had claimed the Barisan Nasional government, which was re-elected with a greatly reduced majority in the poll, was a defender of human rights.

“The statement completely ignored the ongoing suppression of the rights of civil society and politicians,” said Nalini Elumalai, executive director of Suaram.

This was despite an expression of concern at the meeting by Maina Kiai, special rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and association, over alleged attacks on human rights defenders since the election. 

“None of the issues, particularly the factual accounts of arrests, detentions, political violence, threats, intimidation and harassment of civil leaders and politicians was addressed in Malaysia’s reply,” Elumalai said.

“Freedom of expression is suffering a serious assault … and Malaysians have been threatened with revocation of their passports for simply participating in rallies that demand free and fair elections. Malaysia chose to ignore these issues.”

The country has called for the closure of the US Guantanamo Bay camp but still holds 15 people in a detention centre at Kamunting under the ISA, even though the act has been repealed, she added.

“It only serves to depict Malaysia as a two-faced state that refuses to address the truth.”

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