Noting Anwar's close relationship with Turkey's President Erdogan, he should really call on Turkey to respect human rights, democracy, freedom of the press, freedom of speech and opinion...In fact, Malaysia also needs to do so considering Turkey's disturbing human rights record.
Erdogan seems to be intolerant to media freedom, freedom of expression and opinion - thousands from the Opposition and media have been detained. As such, Anwar's alleged endorsement, 'adulation' and support for Turkey's President of late is most worrying ...
* Of interest, a media report also suggest that former PM Najib was also trying to emulate Erdogan's methods of governance in Malaysia(See the Washington Post report, that came out before GE14, below)
...nearly 160,000 people arrested during an 18-month state of emergency; 152,000 civil servants dismissed, many totally arbitrarily; teachers, judges and lawyers dismissed or prosecuted; journalists arrested, media outlets shut down and websites blocked – clearly the successive states of emergency declared in Turkey have been used to severely and arbitrarily curtail the human rights of a very large number of people,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said....“One of the most alarming findings of the report,” he added, “is how Turkish authorities reportedly detained some 100 women who were pregnant or had just given birth, mostly on the grounds that they were ‘associates’ of their husbands, who are suspected of being connected to terrorist organizations. Some were detained with their children and others violently separated from them. This is simply outrageous, utterly cruel, and surely cannot have anything whatsoever to do with making the country safer.” - see below for full UN OCHR report statement.
Anwar Ibrahim's recent show of support for Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, given before the Turkish Presidential elections, and his subsequent ongoing adulations with Erdoğan is raising some serious concerns for me ...more so considering the many human rights violations that has happened and continues to happen under the reign Recep Tayyip Erdoğan...
And after the Presidential Elections,In an interview with Anadolu Agency, Ibrahim described Erdoğan as "the most popular leader among Muslims of Malaysia and outside Malaysia because of his position on Palestine and on what happened to the Middle East." Ibrahim said he supports Erdoğan in the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey "because there is one leader who shows courage against the powers in the world." "Very few leaders of the world would have that courage to go and fight for justice," he said. - Daily Sabah, 20/6/2018
Anwar Ibrahim has hailed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent electoral win as a “victory for the Islamic world”... “I am also convinced that your victory is also a victory for the Islamic world in portraying a modern and progressive face of Islam that embraces change while not compromising on the values of our faith and the fundamental teachings of the Holy Prophet,”...“The resounding mandate given by the people is a testament to your leadership of not only Turkey, but the region during trying times,” he said. “I am convinced that your commitment to democracy, the continued betterment of the Turkish people, the promotion of peace and the eradication of subversive elements which were key election promises by the AK party contributed greatly to your victory this second time around,” he added.- Star, 25/6/2018
In the Presidential election, Erdogan won with ONLY a popular vote of 51.79%(certainly not a 'resounding mandate'). The Referendum to amend the Constitution in April 2017 to give an executive presidency more powers succeeded with only 51.4% of the votes cast - there were much allegations of irregularities including restrictions on campaigning.
Appreciation of Erdogan's support to him and his family when he was incarcerated is one thing, but now after his release and pardon, as a leader of Pakatan Harapan(and de factor leader of PKR), Anwar must be more careful about public support for any leader with questionable human rights record...
Anwar: Erdogan’s win a victory for the Islamic world
Datuk
Seri Anwar Ibrahim (left) and Recep Tayyip Erdogan (right) pose for a
photo before a meeting in Istanbul on June 20, 2018. -AP
PETALING
JAYA: PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has hailed Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent electoral win as a “victory for the
Islamic world”.
In a letter congratulating Erdogan on winning a second term in the recent presidential election, Anwar said Turkey’s progress and its place in the world would be more assured under Erdogan’s “dynamic stewardship”.
“I am also convinced that your victory is also a victory for the Islamic world in portraying a modern and progressive face of Islam that embraces change while not compromising on the values of our faith and the fundamental teachings of the Holy Prophet,” he said.
Anwar also congratulated the people of Turkey for their peaceful participation in their nation’s democratic process.
“The resounding mandate given by the people is a testament to your leadership of not only Turkey, but the region during trying times,” he said.
In a letter congratulating Erdogan on winning a second term in the recent presidential election, Anwar said Turkey’s progress and its place in the world would be more assured under Erdogan’s “dynamic stewardship”.
“I am also convinced that your victory is also a victory for the Islamic world in portraying a modern and progressive face of Islam that embraces change while not compromising on the values of our faith and the fundamental teachings of the Holy Prophet,” he said.
Anwar also congratulated the people of Turkey for their peaceful participation in their nation’s democratic process.
“The resounding mandate given by the people is a testament to your leadership of not only Turkey, but the region during trying times,” he said.
“I am convinced that your commitment to democracy, the continued
betterment of the Turkish people, the promotion of peace and the
eradication of subversive elements which were key election promises by
the AK party contributed greatly to your victory this second time
around,” he added.
Under Erdogan, the Turkish government has either taken over or shut down media organisations, while thousands of people have been detained since a coup attempt in 2016.
Thanks to a referendum last year, Erdogan will assume major new powers under Turkey's new constitution, among them the power to directly appoint top public officials and to intervene in the country's judiciary.
His critics say this would place too much power in the executive, undermining the checks and balances needed for a properly functioning democracy.
Erdogan however argues that he needs this kind of authority to address the country’s economic woes and to defeat Kurdish rebels.
Meanwhile, Anwar said Erdogan’s declaration of “one nation, one flag, one country, one state” in his victory speech is the true mark of a statesman in bringing together opposing sides after a hard-fought election.
“As you know, we here in Malaysia too are going through an unprecedented chapter in our nation’s history following the victory of my coalition party for the first time.
“Closing ranks and uniting different factions is our first task in taking our nation forward.
“As you begin your second term as President, I am looking forward to continuing our working relationship, although this time not as Malaysian’s opposition leader but as a participant in Malaysia’s new government and leadership,” Anwar said. - Star, 25/6/2018
Yet
Najib and his allies are likely poised for victory, although the vote
could be close. The ruling coalition has used even dirtier tricks to
assure a victory than it did the last time around. It has gerrymandered
districts even more than usual to favor pro-government rural voters,
and has held the election while Anwar Ibrahim remains in jail on dubious
sodomy charges; Najib could win without winning the popular vote. Najib
has helped to break off the Parti Islam se Malaysia, or PAS party, from
the opposition alliance, and he is likely to use the PAS as a wedge
to bring down opposition vote totals. Meanwhile, with Anwar in prison,
the opposition is led by 92-year-old former prime minister Mahathir
Mohamad, hardly the person to present a forward-looking Malaysia to
young voters.
Under Erdogan, the Turkish government has either taken over or shut down media organisations, while thousands of people have been detained since a coup attempt in 2016.
Thanks to a referendum last year, Erdogan will assume major new powers under Turkey's new constitution, among them the power to directly appoint top public officials and to intervene in the country's judiciary.
His critics say this would place too much power in the executive, undermining the checks and balances needed for a properly functioning democracy.
Erdogan however argues that he needs this kind of authority to address the country’s economic woes and to defeat Kurdish rebels.
Meanwhile, Anwar said Erdogan’s declaration of “one nation, one flag, one country, one state” in his victory speech is the true mark of a statesman in bringing together opposing sides after a hard-fought election.
“As you know, we here in Malaysia too are going through an unprecedented chapter in our nation’s history following the victory of my coalition party for the first time.
“Closing ranks and uniting different factions is our first task in taking our nation forward.
“As you begin your second term as President, I am looking forward to continuing our working relationship, although this time not as Malaysian’s opposition leader but as a participant in Malaysia’s new government and leadership,” Anwar said. - Star, 25/6/2018
Is Malaysia about to follow the path of Erdogan’s Turkey?
Joshua Kurlantzick is a senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Former
Malaysian prime minister and candidate for the opposition Alliance Of
Hope, Mahathir Mohamad, waves to his supporters during an election
campaign rally in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday.
(Stringer/Reuters)
Malaysians will go
to the polls on May 9 in the first national elections since 2013. Last
time, the opposition coalition, headed by Anwar Ibrahim, came close to
defeating the ruling coalition, which has dominated Malaysian politics
since independence. The opposition actually won a majority
of the popular vote, but massive gerrymandering, among other factors,
ensured the opposition got only a minority of seats in Parliament.
Compared
to five years ago, the electoral environment today in Malaysia might
seem, on its face, to be even more favorable to opposition parties.
Prime Minister Najib tun Razak has presided over years of corruption scandals,
most notably the problems in the massive 1MDB state fund, which is
being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice as well as
countries in Southeast Asia, Australia and Europe. Malaysia’s economy grew
by more than 5 percent last year, but working-class people face income
stagnation, and the country still suffers from the flight of talented
young people, who see that high-paying jobs are much easier to find in
states like Singapore and Australia. Najib also implemented an unpopular tax three years ago.
Najib could lose. He and his coalition tried to
depress opposition turnout by scheduling the vote on a work day – but
public pressure prompted him to make May 9 a public holiday.
This switch could help the opposition. And even at his advanced age
Mahathir remains a force on the stump, and has said that, if he wins, he
will eventually step aside for Anwar.
But if he
wins, Najib looks set to potentially transform Malaysia, which has been
a semi-authoritarian state with some degree of the rule of law, into an
more illiberal, politically Islamicized autocracy. Najib’s parliament
recently passed an anti-fake news law
that seems designed to quash discussion of politics and generally chill
free speech. The ruling coalition also has overseen, in recent years, a
broad crackdown
on freedom of expression, jailing civil society activists and writers
on sedition and other charges. The government has overseen the shuttering of “The Malaysian Insider,” one of the most independent news sites.
With
a victory in the election, Najib would be poised to rule at least until
2023. Such a triumph – and likely congratulations from other regional
leaders and President Trump, who welcomed Najib warmly to Washington last year and has praised “elections” in Egypt and Russia – would almost certainly embolden the prime minister.
Najib
has made no pretense of picking a successor, and might leave all
options open in the manner of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan or
Russian President Vladimir Putin, a tool that increases the leader’s
power. Even before the election, Najib also has started to build up his
cult of personality, purging
other powerful people in the ruling coalition and surrounding himself
with sycophants. He might also have more leverage to rein in Malaysia’s
sultans, royal rulers of Malaysian states who are constitutional
monarchs but who have been critical of Najib’s mishandling of government funds.
After
a win, Najib also likely would continue passing out large government
handouts to civil servants and other pro-government groups, while
increasingly portraying the budget decisions as personal gifts from
Najib – a strategy already used by elected autocrats such as Cambodia’s
Hun Sen and Erdogan to make budgets look like personal patronage. (In
the run-up to the election, Najib announced a new handout to civil servants.)
The
demonization of minority groups would probably increase, too. Like many
other illiberal populists, Najib, who presents himself internationally
as a moderate, tolerant leader, has in recent years focused his rhetoric
within Malaysia on “others,” targeting groups he identifies as
outsiders. In recent years he has focused his rhetorical aim
on the ethnic Chinese and other minorities, portraying himself as a
defender of Malay Muslim heartland values. After a big election victory –
and especially if, as expected, the vast majority of ethnic Chinese
vote for the opposition – Najib could unleash even more poisonous
rhetoric.
PAS, the conservative Islamist party
that is apparently splintering the opposition, also might prod Najib to
allow the broader use of sharia courts, and to pass other measures
speeding up the Islamicization of Malaysian society. And by 2023,
Malaysia might look a lot less than a country leading a global “Movement
of Moderates,” as Najib portrays the country, and more like yet another
illiberal, autocratic cult of personality. - The Washington Post, 5/5/2018
Turkey: UN report details extensive human rights violations during protracted state of emergency
GENEVA (20 March 2018) – Routine extensions of the state of emergency
in Turkey have led to profound human rights violations against hundreds
of thousands of people – from arbitrary deprivation of the right to
work and to freedom of movement, to torture and other ill-treatment,
arbitrary detentions and infringements of the rights to freedom of
association and expression, according to a report* issued by the UN
Human Rights Office on Tuesday.
The report, which covers the period between 1 January and 31 December 2017, warns that the state of emergency has facilitated the deterioration of the human rights situation and the erosion of the rule of law in Turkey, and may “have long-lasting implications on the institutional and socio-economic fabric of Turkey.”
While the UN Human Rights Office recognizes the complex challenges Turkey has faced in addressing the 15 July 2016 attempted coup and a number of terrorist attacks, the report says, “the sheer number, frequency and lack of connection of several [emergency] decrees to any national threat seem to…point to the use of emergency powers to stifle any form of criticism or dissent vis-à-vis the Government.”
“The numbers are just staggering: nearly 160,000 people arrested during an 18-month state of emergency; 152,000 civil servants dismissed, many totally arbitrarily; teachers, judges and lawyers dismissed or prosecuted; journalists arrested, media outlets shut down and websites blocked – clearly the successive states of emergency declared in Turkey have been used to severely and arbitrarily curtail the human rights of a very large number of people,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said.
“One of the most alarming findings of the report,” he added, “is how Turkish authorities reportedly detained some 100 women who were pregnant or had just given birth, mostly on the grounds that they were ‘associates’ of their husbands, who are suspected of being connected to terrorist organizations. Some were detained with their children and others violently separated from them. This is simply outrageous, utterly cruel, and surely cannot have anything whatsoever to do with making the country safer.”
The report cites the April 2017 referendum that extended the President’s executive powers into both the legislature and the judiciary as seriously problematic, resulting in interference with the work of the judiciary and curtailment of parliamentary oversight over the executive branch. Twenty-two emergency decrees were promulgated by the end of 2017 (and two more since the cut-off date of the report), with many regulating matters unrelated to the state of emergency and used to limit various legitimate activities by civil society actors. The decrees also foster impunity, affording immunity to administrative authorities acting within the framework of the decrees, the report notes.
The report contains accounts from several individuals who were dismissed from their jobs for perceived links with Gulenist networks, for using specific messaging applications or through analysis of their social media contacts. “The decrees broadly refer to ‘link or connection’ with ‘terrorist organisations’ without describing the nature of such links, giving large discretion of interpretation to the authorities,” the report states, adding there were serious due process violations. “Many individuals arrested…were not provided with specific evidence against them and were unaware of investigations against them.”
The report also documents the use of torture and ill-treatment in custody, including severe beatings, threats of sexual assault and actual sexual assault, electric shocks and waterboarding by police, gendarmerie, military police and security forces.
Those dismissed from their jobs lost their income, social benefits, medical insurance and even their homes, as various decrees stipulate that public servants “shall be evicted from publicly-owned houses or houses owned by a foundation in which they live within 15 days.”
“Since the stated purpose of the emergency regime was to restore the normal functioning of the democratic institutions, it is unclear how measures such as the eviction of families of civil servants from publicly-owned housing may contribute to this goal,” the report states.
The report also states that about 300 journalists have been arrested on the grounds that their publications contained “apologist sentiments regarding terrorism” or other “verbal act offences” or for “membership” in terrorist organisations.
Over 100,000 websites were reportedly blocked in 2017, including a high number of pro-Kurdish websites and satellite TV channels.
The report stresses that measures restricting rights during a state of emergency must be “limited to the extent strictly required by the exigencies of the situation, meaning they must be proportional and limited to what is necessary, in terms of duration, geographic coverage and material scope.”
The report recommends that Turkey promptly end the state of emergency, restore the normal functioning of its institutions, revise and repeal all legislation that is not compliant with Turkey’s international human rights obligations, including the emergency decrees. It also stresses the need to ensure independent, individualized reviews and compensation for victims of arbitrary detentions and dismissals.
The report also noted continued allegations of human rights violations specific to South-East Turkey, confirming the patterns of violations highlighted in the March 2017 UN Human Rights Office report** on the situation in the region. This included killings, torture, violence against women, the excessive use of force, destruction of housing and cultural heritage, prevention of access to emergency medical care, safe water and livelihoods, and severe restrictions of the right to freedom of expression. Turkey has consistently failed to conduct credible criminal investigations into the civilian deaths that occurred in the context of the 2015-2016 security operations in the South-East, the report states. According to the Ministry of Defence, between July 2015 and June 2017, 10,657 “terrorists were neutralized.” Lack of clarity over the meaning of the word “neutralized” is cause for deep concern, High Commissioner Zeid said, calling on the authorities to provide detailed information about the fate of these individuals.
“I urge the Government of Turkey to ensure that these allegations of serious human rights violations are investigated and the perpetrators are brought to justice,” the High Commissioner said. “I again call on the Government to grant my Office full and unfettered access to be able to directly, independently and objectively assess the human rights situation in the South-East of the country.”
The report is based on information gathered and verified through interviews with 104 victims, witnesses and relatives of victims; analysis of Government information; as well as open source documents, satellite images and audio-visual material, among other relevant and reliable materials. The report is not an exhaustive account of the human rights situation in Turkey, but illustrates patterns of rights violations in the country. The confidentiality of sources is strictly protected, to prevent reprisals.
ENDS
*The full report can be accessed here
**The 2017 report can be accessed here
Source: - UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
The report, which covers the period between 1 January and 31 December 2017, warns that the state of emergency has facilitated the deterioration of the human rights situation and the erosion of the rule of law in Turkey, and may “have long-lasting implications on the institutional and socio-economic fabric of Turkey.”
While the UN Human Rights Office recognizes the complex challenges Turkey has faced in addressing the 15 July 2016 attempted coup and a number of terrorist attacks, the report says, “the sheer number, frequency and lack of connection of several [emergency] decrees to any national threat seem to…point to the use of emergency powers to stifle any form of criticism or dissent vis-à-vis the Government.”
“The numbers are just staggering: nearly 160,000 people arrested during an 18-month state of emergency; 152,000 civil servants dismissed, many totally arbitrarily; teachers, judges and lawyers dismissed or prosecuted; journalists arrested, media outlets shut down and websites blocked – clearly the successive states of emergency declared in Turkey have been used to severely and arbitrarily curtail the human rights of a very large number of people,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said.
“One of the most alarming findings of the report,” he added, “is how Turkish authorities reportedly detained some 100 women who were pregnant or had just given birth, mostly on the grounds that they were ‘associates’ of their husbands, who are suspected of being connected to terrorist organizations. Some were detained with their children and others violently separated from them. This is simply outrageous, utterly cruel, and surely cannot have anything whatsoever to do with making the country safer.”
The report cites the April 2017 referendum that extended the President’s executive powers into both the legislature and the judiciary as seriously problematic, resulting in interference with the work of the judiciary and curtailment of parliamentary oversight over the executive branch. Twenty-two emergency decrees were promulgated by the end of 2017 (and two more since the cut-off date of the report), with many regulating matters unrelated to the state of emergency and used to limit various legitimate activities by civil society actors. The decrees also foster impunity, affording immunity to administrative authorities acting within the framework of the decrees, the report notes.
The report contains accounts from several individuals who were dismissed from their jobs for perceived links with Gulenist networks, for using specific messaging applications or through analysis of their social media contacts. “The decrees broadly refer to ‘link or connection’ with ‘terrorist organisations’ without describing the nature of such links, giving large discretion of interpretation to the authorities,” the report states, adding there were serious due process violations. “Many individuals arrested…were not provided with specific evidence against them and were unaware of investigations against them.”
The report also documents the use of torture and ill-treatment in custody, including severe beatings, threats of sexual assault and actual sexual assault, electric shocks and waterboarding by police, gendarmerie, military police and security forces.
Those dismissed from their jobs lost their income, social benefits, medical insurance and even their homes, as various decrees stipulate that public servants “shall be evicted from publicly-owned houses or houses owned by a foundation in which they live within 15 days.”
“Since the stated purpose of the emergency regime was to restore the normal functioning of the democratic institutions, it is unclear how measures such as the eviction of families of civil servants from publicly-owned housing may contribute to this goal,” the report states.
The report also states that about 300 journalists have been arrested on the grounds that their publications contained “apologist sentiments regarding terrorism” or other “verbal act offences” or for “membership” in terrorist organisations.
Over 100,000 websites were reportedly blocked in 2017, including a high number of pro-Kurdish websites and satellite TV channels.
The report stresses that measures restricting rights during a state of emergency must be “limited to the extent strictly required by the exigencies of the situation, meaning they must be proportional and limited to what is necessary, in terms of duration, geographic coverage and material scope.”
The report recommends that Turkey promptly end the state of emergency, restore the normal functioning of its institutions, revise and repeal all legislation that is not compliant with Turkey’s international human rights obligations, including the emergency decrees. It also stresses the need to ensure independent, individualized reviews and compensation for victims of arbitrary detentions and dismissals.
The report also noted continued allegations of human rights violations specific to South-East Turkey, confirming the patterns of violations highlighted in the March 2017 UN Human Rights Office report** on the situation in the region. This included killings, torture, violence against women, the excessive use of force, destruction of housing and cultural heritage, prevention of access to emergency medical care, safe water and livelihoods, and severe restrictions of the right to freedom of expression. Turkey has consistently failed to conduct credible criminal investigations into the civilian deaths that occurred in the context of the 2015-2016 security operations in the South-East, the report states. According to the Ministry of Defence, between July 2015 and June 2017, 10,657 “terrorists were neutralized.” Lack of clarity over the meaning of the word “neutralized” is cause for deep concern, High Commissioner Zeid said, calling on the authorities to provide detailed information about the fate of these individuals.
“I urge the Government of Turkey to ensure that these allegations of serious human rights violations are investigated and the perpetrators are brought to justice,” the High Commissioner said. “I again call on the Government to grant my Office full and unfettered access to be able to directly, independently and objectively assess the human rights situation in the South-East of the country.”
The report is based on information gathered and verified through interviews with 104 victims, witnesses and relatives of victims; analysis of Government information; as well as open source documents, satellite images and audio-visual material, among other relevant and reliable materials. The report is not an exhaustive account of the human rights situation in Turkey, but illustrates patterns of rights violations in the country. The confidentiality of sources is strictly protected, to prevent reprisals.
ENDS
*The full report can be accessed here
**The 2017 report can be accessed here
Source: - UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
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