Open letter to Mahathir<\/p>\n
Observing the seriousness that Malaysia's latest political
\nsituation has assumed, we, the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human
\nRights Association (PBHI), herewith deem it necessary to respond
\nto the development of this political situation.<\/p>\n
The arrest and detention of pro-reform activists in Malaysia
\nclearly shows that two political groups have made their presence
\nfelt -- the mass supporting Anwar Ibrahim and now already
\nstarting to launch their pro-reform actions on the one hand, and
\nstate violence in support of the status quo of the Mahathir
\nMohamad regime, on the other. The harsh measures taken by the
\nMalaysian government, in this case the Mahathir Mohamad regime,
\nhave been shown not only in the arrest and dispersal of anti-
\nMahathir demonstrations on the basis of the Internal Security Act
\n(ISA), but also in the acts of violence and torture taken by the
\ngovernment of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad against the pro-
\nreform leader, Anwar Ibrahim, all serving as evidence of the
\nbrutal acts committed by the Malaysian government\/Prime Minister
\nMahathir and signifying dictatorial practices.<\/p>\n
According to PBHI, a political problem has been shifted into a
\npersonal one. On the one hand Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad,
\nwho has been in power for a long time, wishes to maintain his
\npower and status quo political interests and, on the other,
\nformer deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim has been dismissed on
\nthe basis of an allegation of a personal issue, namely being
\nengaged in homosexual intercourse, while actually he is a figure
\ncapable of bringing together pro-reform forces in the interests
\nof Malaysia's reform drive. Therefore, PBHI stresses that an
\nobviously political problem has clearly been shifted into another
\nnon-political matter.<\/p>\n
On the basis of the above matters, which show a close link to
\nhuman rights violations, PBHI as a human rights organization
\nwishes to convey the following:<\/p>\n
First, the Malaysian government\/the Mahathir regime has used
\npower to arbitrarily arrest and detain citizens posing as their
\npolitical foes. Obviously, in this regard, the Malaysian
\ngovernment\/Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad have violated human
\nrights, in terms of banning, obstructing and dispersing
\ndemonstrations as well as resorting to acts of violence such as
\narrest, torture and imprisonment of someone for an indefinite
\nperiod, all being acts of brutality endangering human rights
\npractices in Malaysia because they constitute gross violations of
\nthe rights of speech and assembly.<\/p>\n
Second, the application of ISA, in which legal legitimacy has
\nbeen used for the purpose of maintaining the status quo, has led
\nto widespread violations of human rights. Therefore, PBHI also
\nopposes the use of legal instruments to repress and arrest pro-
\nreform activists, and launches its protest against the resort to
\nISA by the Malaysian government\/Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad,
\na condition similar to the resort to the anti-subversion law by
\nformer president Soeharto's regime in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Thirdly, herewith PBHI also asks the Malaysian
\ngovernment\/Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to release without any
\ncondition former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim and his
\nsupporters as well as all political detainees in Malaysia.
\nDetaining someone on the grounds of a political difference
\ncontradicts human rights. In addition, we also suggest that Mr.
\nMahathir Mohamad, whose government resembles that of Soeharto's
\nregime in Indonesia, should give up his position in the interests
\nof the Malaysian people and in high esteem of the human rights.<\/p>\n
HENDARDI<\/p>\n
Chairman<\/p>\n
Indonesian Legal Aid<\/p>\n
and Human Rights<\/p>\n
Association Executive Board<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/open-letter-to-mahathir-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }