INISIATIF MANIFESTO RAKYATJawatankuasa Penyelaras
Bosses Group, ERA Konsumer, Ex-ISA Detainees Group,
Gabungan Rumah Panjang, Group of Concerned Citizens,
Jawatankuasa Sokongan Peneroka Bandar, Majlis Graduan
Malaysia, Persatuan Masyarakat Selangor & Wilayah
Persekutuan, Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor, Pusat
Komunikasi Masyarakat, Suara Rakyat Malaysia,
Women's Candidacy Initiative
c/- 21 Jalan Muhibbah 8, Taman Muhibbah, 43000 Kajang,
Selangor tel-fax: 60-3-87378380
31 July, 2000-07-31
YB Tan Sri Musa Hitam
Chairperson SUHAKAM URGENT
Kementerian Luar Negeri
Wisma Putra
50602 Kuala Lumpur
fax: 2480159
Dear Yang Berhormat,
Re: An appeal to SUHAKAM to monitor the 4th August
people's peaceful assembly
We, the People's Manifesto Initiative (PMI), a
coalition of 11 organizations, thank the Commission
for taking the initiative, such as discussing with the
relevant groups and authorities on the right of people
to assemble peacefully. We understand that the
Commission is discussing the upcoming peaceful
assembly on 4 August, 2000, the judgement day of Datuk
Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy trial.
The right to peaceful assembly is the fundamental
right of every Malaysian as enshrined in Article 10 of
the Federal Constitution and Article 20 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We also pleased
to note that several news reports indicate that you
concur with this.
PMI met with the Home Minister, YB Datuk Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi earlier today to discuss the political
developments within the country. In discussing issues
of peaceful assembly we were made to understand that
SUHAKAM and the police will be discussing the peaceful
assembly that will be occurring on the 4 August. We
hope that SUHAKAM will impress upon on the police the
need for this civil authority to protect the peaceful
assembly in a professional manner.
We also hope SUHAKAM will urge the police to deal with
those who create any disturbances, and ONLY those,
without penalising nor using any violence (by beating,
using tear gas or the water cannon) against the other
peaceful assemblers. In addition, we hope SUHAKAM will
urge the police and other parties to stop issueing
threatening statements regarding the peaceful
assembly. We are at a lost as to why these parties are
making threats when there is no evidence whatsoever to
suggest that there would be any violence on that day.
PMI hopes like many other NGOs, that SUHAKAM will be
able to monitor the situation by being present on that
day. We believe that SUHAKAM can play a vital role in
upholding the basic fundamental right of Malaysians
to peacefully assemble.
Your sincerely,
Irene Xavier
On behalf of PMI