4/12/2016 - Peaceful Assembly/Perhimpunan Aman - Isu Rohingya?

Let us all join the PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY on 4/12/2016 about the Injustice Against Rohingya. AYUH, KITA SEMUA TURUN MENYERTAI PERHIMPUNAN AMAN PADA 4 DISEMBER INI. The failure of Myanmar to prevent this gross injustice that is ongoing is shocking...

“The major gathering on Dec 4 is to express our concern over the violence taking place on the Rohingya,” he[Ahmad Zahid Hamidi] said.

Shameful that ASEAN member nations keep quite when there are human rights violations and injustices befalling members of the ASEAN community of people is some ASEAN member nation. ASEAN has got an ASEAN Declaration of Human Rights and various other declarations/statements that do give the impression ASEAN and its member nations do really respect and care about human rights, women rights, child rights, migrant rights - but alas, for a long time, this has been mere 'decorative' exhortations...that is until Malaysia broke the silence and spoke out against Myanmar, a fellow member state of ASEAN, with regards to the injustices and human rights violations befalling the Rohingya people. 

"Malaysia also calls on the government of Myanmar to take all the necessary actions to address the alleged ethnic cleansing in the northern Rakhine State," the ministry said in a statement. "The ministry will summon the ambassador of Myanmar to convey the government of Malaysia’s concern over this issue," it added, without giving a timeframe.

As we all know, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib and his government is also facing much criticism in Malaysia - allegation of 'kleptocracy', corruption and other abuses relating to billions of ringgit found in the Prime Minister's personal bank account, matters related to 1MDB, SRC and other government-owned and/or linked company...all of which have been compounded by the fact of legal proceedings commenced  in the US, and investigations and actions in many other different countries like Singapore and Switzerland. 

There has also been an assault on many human rights defenders in Malaysia like Maria Chin, the chairperson of BERSIH, who was arrested a day before the planned BERSIH 5 Peaceful Assembly, which saw between 40,000 - 100,000 people turning up on 19/11/2016 despite the risk of arrest and possible crackdown. Maria, was then further detained using the SOSMA - a draconian law that allows for special measures to be used - that even allows further detention without judicial intervention of a suspect for 28 days. The normal criminal procedure requires the police to apply to a Magistrate for a remand order if they do want to detain a suspect for the purposes of further investigation.

On such applications by the police, the Magistrate carefully listens to the arguments of both the police and the suspect(who will be represented by a lawyer, and then decides whether the grant the police application or not, and how many days of detention will be permitted for the purpose of investigation. In the recent case of Zunar, a cartoonist, the police applied for 4 days but the Magistrate only allowed 1 day.

Maria Chin, after much public outcry, was finally released on yesterday(28/11/2016), one day before the scheduled habeas corpus hearing...and guess what because she had been released the court did not proceed with the hearing...Was the arrest and detention thereafter under SOSMA legal or not? The courts have still not decided & I believe that our courts will decide that it was wrong and totally unjustified...

SUHAKAM Statement following visit of Maria Chin - BERSIH?

Malaysian Bar - SOSMA Must Not be Abused to Quell Dissent - condemns arrest of Maria Chin?

SUHAKAM visits Maria Chin at place of detention on 22/11/2016..? They have the power to do this..

 

Unacceptable use of Sosma against Maria — SUHAKAM(Malaysian HR Commission)

 OPRESSIVE LAWS: Repeal SOSMA & offences criminalizing activities ‘detrimental' democracy’ - MADPET 

 Siapa arahkan SOSMA digunakan untuk kes Maria? AG Apandi Ali kena nasihat kerajaan buat yang betul? 

SOSMA - not the new ISA and no death penalty...Let's understand SOSMA better?

Now, many believe that embattled Najib and the government, took this strong stance against Myanmar possibly as a 'DISTRACTION' from the predicament that Najib and his government is facing - Well, it may be - but this is certainly a human rights issue that we must not ignore, irrespective of how we feel about Najib and the current government. 

On this issue, we should be standing together with Malaysian government to ensure that justice be done, and human rights be respected for Rohingyas of Myanmar. The Myanmar cannot and should never discriminate against any group of its people - be it on the basis of religion, ethnicity and/or any other reasons. Sadly, Aung San Suu Kyi, the one many of believed to be a person committed to human rights, seems to have let us down even after she and her party were successful in the last General Elections..

Now, Malaysian government is in the process of organising a PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY, presumably on 4/12/2016 - but the venue is yet to be disclosed. Our Deputy Prime Minister has called everyone to come... and now, it is also been reported that Prime Minister Najib will also attend...

Malaysians must stand against the aggression and genocide on the Rohingya carried out by the Myanmar government, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi....“The major gathering on Dec 4 is to express our concern over the violence taking place on the Rohingya,” he said. Ahmad Zahid said the gathering was not only among Muslim non-governmental ogranisations as the main reason was to stand against the violence of the Myanmar government, which affected Asean.

LET's have this peaceful assembly to voice out our protest at Dataran Merdeka --- and not some closed-door government or UMNO-BN venue if we want all Malaysians, irrespective of political affliation, religion or ethnicitity. I am sure DAP and our other political parties will have no problem taking a common stand on this pressing human rights issue...

It is sad that the VENUE is unclear, and details of program like timing, etc ... people need to make plans to come to this Peaceful Assembly...we have less than 5 days  

What else can Malaysia do? Well, it can move an ASEAN Resolution on this matter...get the majority of ASEAN member nations to stand with Malaysia on this serious human rights issues affecting a group of people, who are part of the ASEAN Community.

It is people of the ASEAN community who are at risk, some of whom have already lost their lives, and if ASEAN continues to stay silent - that will tell us all a lot about ASEAN. Will ASEAN stand with the party responsible for these grave injustice against ...


     

World News | Fri Nov 25, 2016 | 9:23am EST

Malaysia to summon Myanmar envoy on Rohingya as protests mount

Protests over Myanmar Rohingya crackdown

01:30

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By Joseph Sipalan and Ruma Paul | KUALA LUMPUR/DHAKA
 

Malaysia will summon Myanmar's ambassador over the crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in northwestern Rakhine state, it said on Friday, as protesters across Southeast Asia demonstrated against the rising violence.The conflict in Rakhine has sent hundreds of Rohingya Muslims fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh and poses a serious challenge to leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who swept to power last year on promises of national reconciliation.
 

At least 86 people are reported to have been killed in escalating violence that has displaced about 30,000 in the region's most serious bloodshed since hundreds were killed in communal clashes in 2012.

The Malaysian foreign ministry called on all parties involved to refrain from actions that could aggravate the situation.
 

"Malaysia also calls on the government of Myanmar to take all the necessary actions to address the alleged ethnic cleansing in the northern Rakhine State," the ministry said in a statement.
 

"The ministry will summon the ambassador of Myanmar to convey the government of Malaysia’s concern over this issue," it added, without giving a timeframe.
 

Hundreds of Rohingya Muslims marched in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, condemning the 

bloody crackdown on the persecuted minority and criticizing Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi for her inaction on the matter.
 

Protesters demanded humanitarian aid for Rakhine, and urged that the military seize all attackers.

A banner is tied to barbed-wire outside the Myanmar embassy during a protest against what organisers say is the crackdown on ethnic Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, in Jakarta, Indonesia November 25, 2016. The text on the poster reads, 'Rohingya are our brothers'. REUTERS/Darren Whiteside

 

"The Myanmar government says the claims are all fabricated but they are not fabricated," Rohingya community leader Muhammed Noor told reporters, referring to reports of incidents of killing, rapes of wives and daughters and home burnings.
 

"This movement has to continue, to pressure the government to stop the killing."
 

OTHER PROTESTS
 

This week, Muslim-majority Malaysia said it was considering pulling out from a regional soccer tournament co-hosted by Myanmar in protest against the crackdown. But it later decided to continue. [nL4N1DQ1CI]
 

Protests were also held simultaneously in Bangkok, the capital of neighboring Thailand, in the capital of Bangladesh and in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta.
 

Protesters in Jakarta called for the Nobel panel to cancel its award to Suu Kyi.
 

Indonesia is "ready and willing" to help Myanmar initiate dialogue, its foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, said this week.

Many among the Buddhist majority in Myanmar view its 1.1 million Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
 

Several thousand of Bangladeshis took to the streets in the capital on Friday in protest against the persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

Leaders and activists from several Islamic groups chanted slogan “Stop killing Rohingya Muslims” and burned an effigy of Suu Kyi as they marched in Dhaka in front of a national masque after prayers amid tight security.
 

They also demanded that Bangladesh’s border be opened to Rohingya Muslims fleeing the violence in Myanmar.
 

Bangladesh’s foreign minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali has said the South Asian country is allowing in some of the Rohingya Muslims on humanitarian grounds but it won’t open the border with Myanmar.
 

Persecution and poverty led thousands of Rohingya to flee Myanmar following the violence between Buddhists and Muslims there four years ago. Many of them were smuggled or trafficked to Thailand, Malaysia and beyond.
 

(Additional reporting by Johan Purnama in Jakarta and Cod Satrusayang in Bangkok; Writing by Praveen Menon; Editing by Tom Heneghan) - Reuters, 25/11/2016

Malaysia to hold gathering in protest over Myanmar’s Rohingya violence, Zahid says

By Reena Raj and Ida Nadirah Ibrahim

Tuesday November 29, 2016
07:40 AM GMT+8

Participants at a gathering to condemn the actrocities against the Rohingya in Gelugor, Penang, last Thursday. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin












KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 29 — Malaysians must stand against the aggression and genocide on the Rohingya carried out by the Myanmar government, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He said the Foreign Ministry had contacted the Myanmar ambassador to Malaysia last week and handed him a protest note.

“The major gathering on Dec 4 is to express our concern over the violence taking place on the Rohingya,” he said.

Ahmad Zahid said the gathering was not only among Muslim non-governmental ogranisations as the main reason was to stand against the violence of the Myanmar government, which affected Asean.

So far, from the Opposition, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang has confirmed his attendance.

“I hope we can all do away with our differences and work together on a bigger problem,” Ahmad Zahid said.

NGOs are urging international organisations to play a more proactive role in tackling violence and atrocities against the Rohingya.

Malay NGOs are in consensus that while Malaysia is doing what is possible for the Rohingyas, world powers such as the United Nations (UN) and Asean should intervene.

Malay Islamic World (Dunia Melayu Dunia Islam) president Tan Sri Mohd Ali Rustam said immediate intervention by the UN was the fastest possible solution.

He said the UN should convene a meeting of the Security Council and intervene as it had done with other countries, such as Iraq.

“We can’t continue to sit back and watch Myanmar kick out the Rohingya and have the UN expect neighbouring countries to keep taking them in,” he said.

“We want to help, but how many more can we take in?  The Myanmar government is responsible to protect their people, whether Muslim or not.”

The former Malacca chief minister said taking other measures besides public protests, such as suspending trade with Myanmar, would not be the solution as it could lead to other issues, including black markets.

Ikatan Rakyat Insan Muslim Malaysia (IRIMM) chairman Amir Amsaa Alla Pitchay said aside from waiting for international intervention, the government should take action by disallowing Myanmar workers to enter the country.

He said the Myanmar government needed a wake-up call that what it was doing was unacceptable and wrong.

“If we don’t take stringent action, then Myanmar will take things easy and continue mass killings knowing there would be no outside interference or intervention.”

Amir said a group of NGOs would send a memorandum to the UN office in Damansara Heights on Thursday, to call on the organisation to take swift action.

Islamic Youth Movement of Malaysia (Abim) vice-president Ahmad Fahmi Mohd Samsudin said crimes against the Rohingya, which had been going on for many years, needed to be highlighted more and backed by consistent action from the government.

Although the Foreign Affairs Ministry publicly condemned the escalation of violence against the Rohingya, he said, the government should withdraw the Malaysian ambassador from Myanmar.

“It is time for countries, especially those with the power, to act as the basic human rights of the Rohingya are being violated,” he said. - Malay Mail, 29/11/2016

Malaysia PM to attend rally condemning Myanmar violence
By AFP - 29 November 2016 @ 1:54 PM

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will take part in a rare rally to protest a bloody crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, an official from his office said Tuesday.

The gathering, which will take place in an yet-to-be announced location on Sunday, will involve politicians, NGOs and “all concerned with the issue” the official told AFP, without giving further details.

Last Friday, Malaysia summoned the Myanmar ambassador while around 500 Malaysians and Rohingya marched through a heavy tropical downpour from a Kuala Lumpur mosque to Myanmar’s embassy carrying banners denouncing the Rakhine “genocide.”

Muslim-majority Malaysia’s Cabinet also issued a statement last week condemning the violence, an unusually strong criticism against a fellow member of the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) which has a policy of non-interference in member states.

“The major gathering on December 4 is to express our concern over the violence taking place on the Rohingya,” Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi was quoted as saying by the Malay Mail Online on Tuesday.

Chong Ja Ian, a political analyst from the National University of Singapore, said Najib’s appearance at such a rally will be “odd.”

“During last year’s migrant crisis, there was criticism but it was oblique and not to this level,” he said.

The discovery last year of human-trafficking camps – and scores of nearby graves – first in Thailand and then over the border in Malaysia caused shock and revulsion in Southeast Asia.

The camps are believed to have been used by people-smuggling syndicates who move large numbers of impoverished Rohingya out of Myanmar, where they face systematic repression, with most heading for Malaysia.

Bridget Welsh, a Malaysia politics expert with Turkey’s Ipek University, said the planned gathering was “purely a political exercise” for Malaysian leaders.

“These leaders are desperately trying to show their Islamic credentials as they are losing moral legitimacy at home,” she said.

Violence in Rakhine – home to the stateless ethnic group loathed by many of Myanmar’s Buddhist majority – has surged in the last month after security forces poured into the area following a series of attacks on police posts blamed on local militants.

A UN official has said Myanmar is engaged in “ethnic cleansing” of Rohingya Muslims, as reports emerged of troops shooting at villagers as they tried to flee.

But Myanmar’s new civilian government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, has rejected the allegations. skc/tm 296 reads (File pix) In this file picture taken on November 25, 2016 a Malaysian Muslim girl holds a placard following a protest against the persecution of ethnic Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, outside the Myanmar Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will take part in a rare rally to protest a bloody crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, an official from his office said on November 29, 2016. AFP Photo - New Straits Times, 29/11/2016

Read More : http://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/11/192823/malaysia-pm-attend-rally-condemning-myanmar-violence

ASEAN hypocrisy becomes evident yet again when all we get is silence from ASEAN and even the ASEAN Inter-Governmental Commission of Human Rights(AICHR) about what is happening in Malaysia - Maria Chin, SOSMA, Detention Conditions, Freedom of Peaceful Assembly, etc...

Remember ASEAN has got a Human Rights Declaration and other pronounced 'documents' on human rights... but sadly, it is all just for show only - but no action.

AICHR call its self a 'Commission of Human Rights' and our Malaysian representative is Mr Edmund Bon...and, until now there is