[ Laman Ehwal Semasa ReformIS ]
Date: 01 Sep 1999
Time: 20:56:25
Remote User: -
Amnesty blasts Malaysia for undermining human rights
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 1 (AFP) - Amnesty International on Wednesday accused the Malaysian government of consistently undermining human rights safeguards and stifling dissent.
"Step by step the Malaysian government has undermined constitutional protection, weakened key institutions, and put in place an array of restrictive laws that stifle public debate and dissent," the London-based rights group said in a statement.
Referring to the draconian Internal Security Act, it said the vaguely worded legislation allowing detention without charge or trial was used to detain people for their peaceful religious or political beliefs.
Some had been ill-treated while held incommunicado, it said.
Amnesty said individuals had been sentenced to imprisonment for peaceful criticism of the authorities. "Reports of beatings and ill-treatment in detention are common, and for the most part have not been investigated by authorities."
It said Irene Fernandez, head of the non-governmental organization Tenaganita, was currently facing trial for publishing a report alleging medical negligence and abuse in detention camps for foreign workers.
Amnesty also said provisions of rectrictive laws, including the Internal Security Act and the Sedition Act, had been incrementally tightened.
These restricted the rights of Malaysians to peacefully express their opinions and to associate and protest in public, free from the fear of arbitrary arrest, ill-treatment and imprisonment.
The rights group urged the government to start a comprehensive review of key legislation to gurantee the fundamental rights of its citizens.
"As a first step the government should ratify international treaties with human rights guarantees and ensure its new human rights commission is sufficiently independent and empowered to uphold those rights," it said.
Amnesty also urged the government to lift sanctions immediately and unconditionally against anyone penalized for the peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of belief, opinion, expression and association.