Would like to share the foreword written by Mr Maina Kiai, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Assembly and of Association for SUARAM 2012 Annual Human Rights Report. I am deeply honored that SUARAM has given me the opportunity to write the foreword for their 2012 Annual Human Rights Report. I want to congratulate SUARAM for successfully producing another annual report on the status of human rights in Malaysia. I also want to congratulate SUARAM for its persistence in documenting, investigating and publicizing human rights abuses. Since July 2012, SUARAM has withstood a series of sustained attacks and harassment from the Malaysian government, and has been the subjected to investigations, intimidation and pressure from government agencies, including the Company Commission of Malaysia (CCM), the Registrar of Society (ROS), and the police. Despite all of this, SUARAM has not wavered in its fight for justice. I commend SUARAM and its staff for their dedication and courage, proving worthy of their mission as the “Voice of the Malaysian People.” I first began to closely follow the issues of freedom of assembly and association in Malaysia in 2012 when I met with activists at the UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva. They shared with me what had happened during the Bersih rallies in 2011 and 2012, when the authorities dispersed thousands of peaceful protestors and arrested hundreds. Since then, I have had the opportunity to meet with a number of activists from SUARAM and Bersih, who have expressed their concerns about the deteriorating state of the right to assemble – and human rights in general –in Malaysia. I also made an academic visit as UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association – in September 2012. At that time, I was able to meet with various stakeholders and gained a fuller understanding of the problems faced by SUARAM, civil society organizations, the Royal Malaysian Police Force, SUHAKAM and opposition politicians. What I learnt then, and what I continue to learn as I follow issues in Malaysia, is of concern to me. Despite the impressive efforts of Malaysian Civil Society Organizations, who are working hard to bring change, the current situation for politics and human rights in Malaysia remains precarious. The ongoing attacks on peaceful assemblies and on human rights defenders in particular are especially disturbing, and undermine the basic tenets of democracy and human rights. The right to assemble peacefully rests at the core of functioning democratic systems, and is closely related to other cornerstones of democracy and pluralism, such as freedom of expression and freedom of association. It is enshrined in a number of international human rights instruments and guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and as well as in the Federal Constitution of Malaysia. Malaysia is bound by these instruments to uphold its citizens’ rights to peacefully assemble. In 2010, I formally requested the Government of Malaysia to invite me to make an official visit to the country in my capacity as UN Special Rapporteur and to investigate and witness firsthand the conditions of freedom of assembly and association in Malaysia. The government accepted my request, but they have yet to agree suitable dates for the visit. I sincerely hope that I will be given a date quickly, enabling me to make a formal visit to Malaysia and to meet a range of stakeholders, including government departments and officials, to better understand the issues and the evolution of the current situation. In closing, I wish to express my hope that SUARAM will continue its fine work, particularly the publication of its annual report on the situation of human rights in Malaysia. I also hope that the government will respect SUARAM’s work, work constructively with civil society to implement improvements in the human rights landscape, and acknowledge their accountability to the Malaysian people – who are the ultimate mandate holders in a democracy. This annual report is a critical tool to support civil society actors in their effort to advocate and contribute to strengthened implementation of human rights. Its continued publication is vital to a vibrant democracy in Malaysia. The struggle for change and human rights is never an easy fight. It requires high morale and unbreakable courage. I am pleased to say that I can see these traits in each of the activists and CSOs I have met in Malaysia. I wish you the best – and offer whatever assistance I can provide in my capacity as UN Special Rapporteur – in your struggle to uphold human rights. May SUARAM always be a voice for Malaysian people. In Solidarity, Maina Kiai, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association
Posted on: Fri, 27 Sep 2013 05:49:04 +0000
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