Press Statement

29th September 2000

"No Platform for Dictator Mahathir"

A coalition of European Human Rights and Environmental
NGOs and concerned residents in Europe today call on
the Cambridge University Malaysia Society (CUMAS) to
immediately withdraw the invitation for the Malaysian
Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir to address the conference
"Malaysia in the New Millennium."

This coalition is against giving any platform to
Mahathir to speak due to his very poor record on human
rights and environmental issues in Malaysia over the
past 20 years.

The Coalition stands firm in its belief that no
platform should be given to an authoritarian leader
like Mahathir, who violates human rights with impunity
and who wears his anti-environmental credentials on
his shirt sleeves. The issue of free speech does not
arise in regard to Mahathir when he himself denies
freedom and rights to Malaysians.

Mahathir has shown himself to be a gross abuser of
human rights by allowing increasing human rights
violations to take place under his administration.
Mahathir continues to be instrumental in the crackdown
of peaceful demonstrators, opposition politicians and
civil society advocates under the country's various
draconian laws such as the Internal Security Act (ISA)
which allows for unlimited detention without trail.

There have also been uses of other draconian laws such
as the Sedition Act, Printing and Presses Act and
others to prosecute opposition, NGOs and printers of
opposition publications. Examples include the jailing
of former opposition MP Lim Guan Eng for wanting
justice done to the then underage girl alleging rape
by the then Chief Minister of Malacca state who was a
close associate of Mahathir, the prosecution of Ms
Irene Fernandes for blowing the whistle on human
rights abuse against migrant workers from other third
world countries, and the current trials of opposition
figures under the above laws.

In addition, there have been various well-founded
allegations of physical and psychological torture of
detainees during the initial 60-days detention allowed
under the ISA. Detainees have also been denied legal
representation.

These heinous laws have been used repeatedly by
Mahathir against his political opponents and also
against those who support the rights of indigenous
communities to land and forests.

The recent high-profile assault of the former Deputy
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim while under police
detention by the former Inspector General of Police
(IGP) occurred directly under Mahathir's
responsibilities as the then Home Affairs Minister and
the double standard of light-charge against the ex-IGP
brought to shame the political manipulation of
Mahathir.

Continuing police brutality against peaceful
protestors and the inaction of the relevant
authorities only confirms the lack of respect for
basic human rights by the Mahathir regime.

More unnoticed but nonetheless equally serious human
rights abuses continue in the East Malaysian State of
Sarawak against peaceful indigenous communities.
Sarawak State, in collaboration with private
companies, have consistently called on the police to
frustrate, intimidate and imprison indigenous
communities against their rights to land and to forest
produce.

Those who stand up for their rights to protest against
their land rights being infringed have consistently
been targeted.

Some members of the indigenous communities have even
been shot dead. For example, the December 1997
incident in Bakong, Miri Division, resulted in the
death of an indigenous person. To date, there is still
no official investigation to determine and punish the
perpetrators of that injustice.

There are many more reports of human rights abuses as
a direct result of unsustainable logging operations in
Sarawak. More often than not, corruption and disregard
for fundamental rights of people are the norm in
Sarawak's forest sector.

A group of Malaysian NGOs on a fact finding mission
has detailed how the Penan people of Ulu Baram in the
Miri Division have been grossly mistreated by the
police stationed to protect timber companies who
continue to this day to destroy the forest home of the
people.

We refer to the just published "Not Development but
Theft - Testimonies of the Penan Communities in
Sarawak" published by the Sarawak based NGO IDEAL
(Institute for Development and Alternative Living).
The report hears testimonies and accounts of the Penan
people in their struggle against invading logging
firms and the mistreatment they face from the
companies and the paramilitary police stationed to
protect the loggers.

(The full report can be downloaded from
http://www.rengah.c2o.org/announce/20000728a.htm)

Mahathir must respond positively to the present
continuing protests of the Penan in Sarawak and act
immediately to prove that human rights are valued in
Malaysia. He should also act to prevent further abuses
and end environmental destruction and deforestation by
logging companies in Sarawak immediately.

"Just as Mahathir is fond of saying how the Third
World should be allowed to determine its direction,
the indigenous people like the Penan should also be
allowed self-determination."

"Mahathir cannot say one thing to the international
audience while disregarding the situation in Malaysia
unless he wants to be recognised as a hypocrite!"

There is no "Malaysia in the New Millennium" if unjust
and undemocratic laws continue to curtail people's
freedom and oppress the indigenous communities who
speak their mind, and there can be no progress when
the
nation's wealth is used to bail out cronies of ruling
political leaders, both nationally and in Sarawak.

This coalition condemns Mahathir's visit and
reiterates that he is unwelcome.

The organisers and Cambridge University, which will be
hosting the conference, will only discredit themselves
for allowing authoritarian politicians like Mahathir
to speak on their premises.

Statement Concludes.


Endorsed by:

1. Forest Monitor, UK (www.gn.apc.org/fmonitor)
2. Bruno Manser Foundation, Switzerland
(http://bmf.ch/links.html)
3.FERN, UK/Europe
4.Forest People's Programme, World Rainforest
Movement, UK (http://www.wrm.org.uy/english/)
5. Pro Reganwald, Germany
(http://www.pro-regenwald.org/)
6. The Netherlands Centre for Indigenous Peoples, The
Netherlands

Note: more issues and details on Sarawak can be viewed
at http://www.rengah.c2o.org

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