Siasatan di Perancis terhadap dakwaan rasuah dalam perolehan kapal selam Scorpene oleh kerajaan Malaysia, akan diteruskan walaupun jika kerajaan memutuskan untuk mendakwa Suaram atau mengambil apa-apa tindakan terhadapnya, kata NGO hak asasi manusia itu hari ini.
Anggota sekretariat Suaram, Cynthia Gabriel berkata, pihaknya telah dimaklumkan oleh peguamnya bahawa kes Scorpene akan diteruskan.
Ketika dihubungi, Cynthia berkata, tindakan terhadap Suaram itu tidak akan memberi kesan terhadap kes di Perancis itu.
Cynthia juga mengkritik pengumuman Menteri Perdagangan Dalam Negeri, Koperasi dan Kepenggunaan, Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob bahawa Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia (SSM) akan mencadangkan kepada Pejabat Peguam Negara hari ini tuduhan yang akan difailkan terhadap Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd
Katanya, ketika menteri itu membuat pengumuman tersebut, pengarah dalam lembaga pengarah dan pengarah eksekutif Suaram masih lagi berada di ibu pejabat SSM, untuk disoal.
Cynthia berkata, bagaimana menteri itu boleh membuat kesimpulan tersebut sedangkan siasatan masih berjalan di dalam bangunan SSM.
We, the undersigned NGOs, wish to invite all Malaysians who support the promotion and protection of basic human rights to join the “Stand up for SUARAM” campaign which will be launched this Tuesday (18 September).
The campaign is aimed at mobilising support for SUARAM in the face of the unjust persecution launched against them by the government who persists in investigating the human rights organization in unprofessional and irregular ways beginning early July.
Organisations both within Malaysia and around the world have recognized SUARAM as a key NGO that constantly pushes for greater awareness of human rights in our country. Yet our government appears intent to harass them, seemingly due to the ongoing Scorpene submarine investigations which are taking place in France. However, as we stated last week, the authorities should focus on ensuring that justice and integrity prevail in the Scorpene investigations, instead of trying to shoot the messenger.
SUARAM has given its full cooperation to the investigations and has thus far only been rewarded with an even greater amount of unwarranted prosecution from government agencies who surely have many more important public interest issues to focus on.
Thus, we ask that the public stands up in solidarity with SUARAM, to counter the many half-truths being reported in the government-controlled media. We also hope to see a strong show of support at the launch, which will be held at the agency which begin the witch-hunt against SUARAM, the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM).
SUARAM’s 23 YEARS DEFENDING HUMAN RIGHTS
Through twenty three years of selfless work defending human rights in Malaysia, SUARAM has established itself as the human rights centre of Malaysia. From Operation Lalang through the Reformasi period to the present day, many victims of state oppression have turned to SUARAM for assistance in highlighting their plight. The funding we get goes into nurturin g young activists in human rights work. We employ a handful of dedicated young staff that has chosen this path of service in human rights work. The elder members of the SUARAM secretariat have always been non-staff volunteers in overseeing the running of the organisation.
Since 1989, SUARAM has been the main coordinating secretariat for the Movement against the ISA and other detention without trial laws, the EO and the DDA. Our office serves as the refuge for those whose family members have been victims of state oppression. We send Urgent Appeals throughout the world whenever any detention or other violations of human rights happen. We never leave the detainees or those arrested alone. We will be there until the last person released. Despite its small staff, SUARAM publishes the only credible and detailed Malaysian Human Rights Report every year without fail and has been doing so since 1998. Such a report is an invaluable service to all the peoples of Malaysia irrespective of ethnicity, religion or creed. Since its founding, SUARAM has worked toward a healthy democratic movement in the country and we could well say that all the efforts by SUARAM in the last 20 years have been instrumental in producing today’s two-front system and the political tsunami of 2008.
Throughout its existence over the last 20 years, SUARAM staff and secretariat have been involved in human rights and environmental education, giving talks, organising seminars and providing training. SUARAM has initiated campaigns against the Bakun dam and the Selangor dam to protect the interests of indigenous peoples, the environment and the interests of Malaysian tax payers. We have also supported marginalised communities such as the urban settlers, estate communities and refugees when they have met eviction and state oppression.
SUARAM has played a role in the “Stop the War Coalition” and has coordinated Anti-US demonstrations and protests against the US-led occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan and Israeli atrocities in Gaza in recent years. SUARAM also played a key role in the last important peace conference for East Timor in 1996 together with other NGOs. We have been part of the campaign for democracy in Burma. In other words, SUARAM has always been in the business of fighting for justice, equality, democracy and human rights in Malaysia and spoken out against imperialism and militarism in the rest of the world.
For our efforts, SUARAM was awarded the Human Rights Award for 2011 by the country’s Human Rights Commission SUHAKAM. The only dividends we have gained in this business over these 23 years are the appreciation of the victims of oppression and exploitation, nature lovers and Malaysian tax payers. And to all our detractors and oppressors we can only say:
Through twenty three years of selfless work defending human rights in Malaysia, SUARAM has established itself as the human rights centre of Malaysia. From Operation Lalang through the Reformasi period to the present day, many victims of state oppression have turned to SUARAM for assistance in highlighting their plight. The funding we get goes into nurturin g young activists in human rights work. We employ a handful of dedicated young staff that has chosen this path of service in human rights work. The elder members of the SUARAM secretariat have always been non-staff volunteers in overseeing the running of the organisation.
Since 1989, SUARAM has been the main coordinating secretariat for the Movement against the ISA and other detention without trial laws, the EO and the DDA. Our office serves as the refuge for those whose family members have been victims of state oppression. We send Urgent Appeals throughout the world whenever any detention or other violations of human rights happen. We never leave the detainees or those arrested alone. We will be there until the last person released. Despite its small staff, SUARAM publishes the only credible and detailed Malaysian Human Rights Report every year without fail and has been doing so since 1998. Such a report is an invaluable service to all the peoples of Malaysia irrespective of ethnicity, religion or creed. Since its founding, SUARAM has worked toward a healthy democratic movement in the country and we could well say that all the efforts by SUARAM in the last 20 years have been instrumental in producing today’s two-front system and the political tsunami of 2008.
Throughout its existence over the last 20 years, SUARAM staff and secretariat have been involved in human rights and environmental education, giving talks, organising seminars and providing training. SUARAM has initiated campaigns against the Bakun dam and the Selangor dam to protect the interests of indigenous peoples, the environment and the interests of Malaysian tax payers. We have also supported marginalised communities such as the urban settlers, estate communities and refugees when they have met eviction and state oppression.
SUARAM has played a role in the “Stop the War Coalition” and has coordinated Anti-US demonstrations and protests against the US-led occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan and Israeli atrocities in Gaza in recent years. SUARAM also played a key role in the last important peace conference for East Timor in 1996 together with other NGOs. We have been part of the campaign for democracy in Burma. In other words, SUARAM has always been in the business of fighting for justice, equality, democracy and human rights in Malaysia and spoken out against imperialism and militarism in the rest of the world.
For our efforts, SUARAM was awarded the Human Rights Award for 2011 by the country’s Human Rights Commission SUHAKAM. The only dividends we have gained in this business over these 23 years are the appreciation of the victims of oppression and exploitation, nature lovers and Malaysian tax payers. And to all our detractors and oppressors we can only say:
“DO YOUR WORST AND WE WILL DO OUR BEST”
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