The Free Anwar Campaign is Launched
 
At 09.00 (01.00 GMT), Thursday, 27 July 2000, the FreeAnwar Campaign Secretariat
launched the International FreeAnwar Campaign (FAC). The principal objective of
the FAC is to seek justice and freedom for Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar Ibrahim's struggle and sacrifice is to build a civil society and a
Malaysian nation based on justice, tolerance, and noble humanitarian values. The
FAC sees the freeing of Anwar Ibrahim as an important milestone in seeking
democratic reforms in Malaysia. Anwar Ibrahim's jailing epitomises the extreme
to which the abuse of power and the undermining of democratic institutions in
Malaysia have reached.
 
The FAC is amongst one of the many efforts organised by various organisations
and individuals to free Anwar Ibrahim. The FAC's initiative is signified by the
launching of the FAC Website - http://www.freeanwar.com/. This Website features
news items, important material, and a comprehensive archive of the Anwar Ibrahim
arrest and trial. Full transcripts of the proceedings of Anwar Ibrahim's trials
will also soon be made available on this Website. Important reports from Amnesty
International, the Malaysian Bar Council, the Heritage Foundation, the Human
Rights Watch, The Malaysian Citizens' Election Watch, media reports, and many
more bits of information are also available for your reference.
 
The FAC Website is tailored towards sympathisers and supporters of the FreeAnwar
Campaign, whom we hope, will assist by initiating pressure on the Malaysian
government to release Anwar Ibrahim from jail. A specific section to guide you
on what you can do to help the FreeAnwar Campaign is available on the Website.
 
The FreeAnwar Campaign is offering a free e-mail service at "FreeAnwar Dot Com"
which you can subscribe through our Website. We invite you to subscribe to this
e-mail service and have your own e-mail address - your_name @ freeanwar.com - as
a mark of support to the FreeAnwar Campaign.
 
We call upon all supporters and sympathisers of Anwar Ibrahim to join our
campaign. You can contribute to this campaign by persuading your government, as
well as political, corporate and community leaders in your country, to use their
influence to seek the release of Anwar Ibrahim and to get the Malaysian
government to restore and respect democratic rights as enshrined in the
country's constitution.
 
We also encourage all supporters of this campaign to write to the Malaysian
rulers and the Malaysian government and raise your concern on the unfair trial
of Anwar Ibrahim. These letters can be sent to the Malaysian High Commissions or
Embassies in your country. A database of their addresses is also on our Website.
 
We hope to regularly conduct public relations exercises with the media,
governments, individuals and other International Non-Governmental Organisations
in explaining the progress of the campaign and the efforts of other
organisations and individuals to free Anwar Ibrahim. Please keep us posted on
any activities or news within your community on these efforts.
 
The FAC is committed to change through a peaceful and democratic process. It
considers the process of disseminating information and shaping of public opinion
as part of universal democratic rights. We consider this process important in
creating an informed public, be they from within or outside Malaysia. This
process serves as the foundation upon which more specific actions will be
undertaken from time to time. We invite you to offer your services to produce
material for publication, and organise and host activities for the FAC within
your own community.
 
The FAC vows to continue Anwar Ibrahim's struggle for change through peaceful
means and within the norms of democratic behaviour. They may imprison Anwar's
physical self, but his soul and ideals will remain free through this effort.
 
Amnesty International has declared Anwar Ibrahim a prisoner of conscience.
Various international bodies that have examined the Malaysian Judicial system
have concluded that it is not independent, and Anwar's trial to be unfair.
 
We need the support of all Malaysians and the International community to ensure
that Anwar Ibrahim is liberated.
 
Thank you
 
Dr. Abdul Rahim Ghouse
Representative of the FAC
rahim_ghouse@freeanwar.com