25 Apr 2024, 09:54 Kuching
25 Apr 2024, 02:54 London
Malaysia voted in favour of a United Nations resolution to protect human rights activists worldwide at the general assembly yesterday, even as civil society leaders back home kick up a storm over a raft of reforms on politics, socio-economics and elections. Malaysia was one of the 117 countries that gave its nod, amid a global crackdown on civil societies in several countries.
“117 Member States voted yes on the resolution, entitled ‘Recognising the role of human rights defenders and the need for their protection’ calls for accountability for attacks on human rights defenders (including attacks on their family members) and urges states to release defenders who have been arbitrarily detained for exercising their fundamental rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association,” the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders said in a statement, commending the UN for getting the resolution passed.
The group added that the resolution would be an “important tool” to offer protection to human rights activists that have been “unjustly targeted” for their work.
So Najib has agreed to sign a resolution that calls for the “release” of “defenders who have been arbitrarily detained for exercising their fundamental rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association” … ?
In an ideal world this would be seen as a incredibly positive move, but as all Malaysians know, 2015 has been a year of crackdowns in the country. Human Rights Defenders and ordinary citizens have been thrown in jail for peacefully protesting, speaking out against corruption and even tweeting their frustration.
Just last month Human Rights Watch launched an extensive report on the downward spiral of rights in the country mainly due to the use of arbitrary laws such as the Sedition Act, Peaceful Assembly Act and the Penal Code. The government reacted by slamming the report as “untrue”
So isn’t it time the government acknowledge its rights abusing at home before signing a UN agreement that lambasts the sort of tactics it has been using?
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