Sat: Param, Anwar in forum on CJ September 28, 2007
Posted by elizabethwong in Current Affairs, Democracy, Event, Human Rights, Malaysia, Note2Self, Politics.1 comment so far
Yes, apparently there’s more footage :O
From Nurin to Chief Justice: A Collapse of Law and Order?
Organizer: Institut Kajian Dasar (IKD)
Date: 29 Sept 2007, Saturday
Time: 2.15pm – 4.30pm
Venue: Corus Hotel, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur
Speakers:
Anwar Ibrahim (Ketua KeADILan, Former Deputy Prime Minister)
Tunku Abdul Aziz (Transparency International)
Lim Chee Wee (Secretary Bar Council)
Param Cumaraswamy (Former UN Special Rapporteur on Independence of Judges and Lawyers)
Pls come earlier to ensure you have your seat.
Red alert for Burma in KL September 28, 2007
Posted by elizabethwong in Current Affairs, Democracy, Human Rights, International, Malaysia, Note2Self, Politics.17 comments
(Updates) Protests all across Southeast Asia today. Most significant was in Jakarta, where50 Indonesian foreign ministry officials, dressed in red shirts, observed a period of silence to express solidarity with Myanmar’s pro-democracy protestors.
“We pray that the people of Myanmar will enjoy peace,” said Umar Hadi, the ministry’s director of public diplomacy.
Wisma Putra – when are *you* going to do the same? Or it’s business with the junta as usual?
News from inside Burma, from my friend, Khin Ohmar, who’s coordinating information outflow, after internet has been cut off in Rangoon.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said, “Fear is a Habit; I am not Afraid.”
The people marching on the streets cry out: “WE CAN’T LOSE AGAIN!!!!”
As of this posting (4:00 Burmese Std Time), people in Burma are continuing with their defiance and gathering on the streets again in downtown Rangoon despite of the extreme use of force and violence by the authorities that they have experienced and witnessed over the past twodays – the beating, shooting and killing, and the continuing arrests. There have placed double barricades blocking that no one gets near to Sule Pagoda where shooting and killing took place yesterday.
At least 10,000 or so protesters are gathering around the Theinggyi market area in downtown Rangoon and trying to get into group. But soldiers (Battalion 66 as shown on the badges) are patrolling in the area and when they see people starting gathering they fire guns into the air, chase the people and beat and arrest those who could not run.
An hour ago, this is the update on people arrested: About 10 people, mostly young women, were arrested in front of Ministers Office (Wongyimyar Yone), Ahnawrata Road. About 50 have been arrested in Theingyi market area. There can be more that we don’t have information yet.
In spite of the international outcry, the Burmese junta continues to prove who they are and challenge the world community as they continue to commit the violence against the people. (Cut)
(EARLIER) Some 2,000 Burmese and Malaysians joined in a solidarity protest to support the democratic movement in Burma and to protest against the killings of monks, civilians and a journalist.
This was one of the fastest mobilisations to date, as a decision was only firmed around 9 pm last night among the organisers.
Sunday: Solidarity Candlelight Procession September 28, 2007
Posted by elizabethwong in Event.add a comment
RADIATION OF METTA & CANDLE-LIGHT PROCESSION
FOR PEACE IN MYANMAR
Sunday, 30 September 2007 – 06:00 pm
Sri Lanka Buddhist Temple,
Jalan Tujuh, Sentul, Kuala Lumpur
TENTATIVE PROGRAM
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06:00 pm |
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Dinner |
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07:00 pm |
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Illumination of Temple |
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07:20 pm |
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Observance of Five Precepts by Ven B Sri Saranankara Nayaka Maha Thero |
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07:30 pm |
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Speech by Bro Loka Ng Sai Kai |
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07:40 pm |
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Speech by Ven B Sri Saranankara Nayaka Maha Thero, Chief Adhikarana Sangha Nayaka Maha Thero of Malaysia on Role of Sangha for the welfare and spiritual development of the people |
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08:10 pm |
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Chanting by members of Sangha – Theravada |
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08:40 pm |
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Meditation – 15 minutes |
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08:55 pm |
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Chanting by Sangha members of Mahayana tradition |
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09:05 pm |
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Chanting by Sangha members of Vajrayana tradition |
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09:15 pm |
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Candle-light procession for peace around the temple |
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10:00 pm |
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Adjourned Please help to email out to all your contacts and spend your Sunday evening for this very meaningful event. Please confirm your attendance via email to the undersigned or SMS 012-3915539. Attire: White top. |
Wear Red for Burma this Friday September 27, 2007
Posted by elizabethwong in Democracy, Event, Human Rights, International.25 comments
Updates:
- More Burmese feared dead in today’s shoot-out in Rangoon.
- Al-Jazeera reports receiving news that a foreign photojournalist has been shot and killed while covering the protests.
- Burmese embassy in Kuala Lumpur is said to have stopped processing visas and only taking applications.
————————————–
On 28th September 2007, the Burmese democracy activists are asking the international community to wear a RED shirt or top, in solidarity with those currently engulfed in the fight of their lives in Burma against the most despicable regime, which our government had supported since 1997 when it allowed Burma to join ASEAN.
This simple act of solidarity will further inflame the hopes and strength of those who have struggled and resisted peaceably for 20 years now.
We are at crossroads now. It’s now or never.
There will be a demonstration tomorrow in KL and a candlelight vigil in the evening. More details to follow.
Long walk to freedom September 26, 2007
Posted by elizabethwong in Current Affairs, Democracy, Event, History, Human Rights, Malaysia, Note2Self, Politics, Southeast Asia.20 comments
(L-R) Edmund, Amer and Jonah.
They walked the extra mile (actually it was 5 km!) to reach the Palace of Justice, when the police stopped the buses.
Independent panel, my foot September 26, 2007
Posted by elizabethwong in "We can do better", Current Affairs, Democracy, History, Huh?!, Human Rights, Malaysia, Note2Self, Politics.28 comments
The ‘independent’ panel announced by deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak today is nothing more than a red herring.
This man is either really stupid, or he thinks we’re stupid?
Sack the Chief Justice, period. Put aside his extended contract. Form a Royal Commission to investigate the rest of the judiciary. Purge those in cohorts with Ahmad Fairuz and VK Lingam.
And Haidar, the former Chief Judge of Malaya to head the ‘independent panel’? :-O
A name that one shouldn’t forget, since he was involved in the plot to kick out Tun Salleh Abas during the 1988 judicial crisis.
The evidence of Encik Haidar, the then Chief Registrar, shows that as early as 8.30 am on the same day the Acting Lord President had anticipated the possibility of Tun Salleh’s counsel making the urgent application to the Supreme Court and had instructed Encik Haidar that the Registry of the Supreme Court was not to take any action on any such application without first taking directions from him.
Later at about 12 noon, upon being informed by Encik Haidar that an urgent application had been made to the Supreme Court, the Acting Lord President instructed him that the Court staff should not be involved and the Court room be not made available to the five Judges. Tan Sri Hamid bin Omar further expressly instructed Encik Haidar to keep the Supreme Court seal under lock and key. (Source: Bar Council of Malaysia press statement on the report of the Tribunal which sacked two Supreme Court Judges and reinstated three others. The statement was made by the then Bar Council chairman, Raja Aziz Addruse, on 9 Oct 1988)
Lee Lam Thye?
Collector of ‘positions’ and ‘directorships’. Director of god-knows how many public listed companies. Head of the National Service Training who doesn’t even have the decency to resign after more than a dozens deaths and numerous more complaints. In some crime prevention foundation, which millions have been pumped in, and clearly not prevented the deluge of serious crimes. Oh yah, I think he was even once a Suhakam commissioner, but none of us from the HR groups could remember him, since he did (censored) all for HRs on public payroll.
I have no beef with Mahadev Shanker, whom I had good discussions on human rights issues during the Human Rights Commission meets in Geneva as well as in Kuala Lumpur, when he was a Suhakam Commissioner. A rose among thorns.
A note from 26 Sept March organisers September 25, 2007
Posted by elizabethwong in 1.4 comments
The walk tomorrow is a peaceful stroll to the PM’s Office. Everything humanly possible is being done and has been done over the couple of days to ensure this. The Cabinet has been informed that we are doing this, and handing over a memorandum and a representative will be expecting us.
The walk is importantly (1) a show of solidarity of the Bar and civil society’s positions on the issue (2) to send a message that we are serious about wanting a clean up of the Judiciary including by (3) calling for an independent appointments and promotion commission (4) calling for a royal commission to enquire into the recording and the state of the administration of justice in Malaysia.
A Star sms has been received about DPM announcing the establishment of a panel to investigate the authenticity of the clip. This does not change anything about the walk. We are still proceeding to walk because the issues we are advocating are not limited to the recording alone but with much larger issues as described above.
And would such a decision by the Govt for a panel be set up have been made without the continuous pressure from us and civil society which includes calling for this walk, more so after PM said there would be no royal commission?Believe in the power we all have in making change, and believe in ourselves. We CANNOT be afraid to walk, we CANNOT look lowly on ourselves, we CANNOT give up our country to people who do not deserve to run it.
SO PLEASE JOIN THE WALK!
100000 in the streets of Rangoon! September 24, 2007
Posted by elizabethwong in Event, History, Human Rights, International, Southeast Asia.14 comments
[Youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=581tLWRNRwA”%5D
Many tens of thousands of people led by Monks and celebrity artists peacefully demonstrated against the military regime, on 24.09.2007, in central Rangoon, near Sule Pagoda. (video Ko Htike; photos Zaw Sai)
[Photos on www.burmadigest.info ]
…
Be Brave
ACT
Confirmed: Judiciary not independent September 24, 2007
Posted by elizabethwong in "We can do better", Current Affairs, Democracy, Huh?!, Human Rights, International, Malaysia, Note2Self, Politics, Southeast Asia.10 comments
This is a most telling statement to date.
In the past, at least the government puts up a facade and employs politically-correct language to soothe one’s apprehension over the state of democracy and the independence of the judiciary.
Today, it has been affirmed that the three fundamental pillars of a democratic society – the Executive, the Legislative and the Judiciary – are not independent.
Today’s statement, as reported by Malaysiakini, by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department should shock everyone.
“I am his minister. I am the minister in charge of legal affairs. ”
(…)
On why Ahmad Fairuz (the Chief Justice) has been evading the media, Nazri said it was because the former is not answerable to the press.
I’m going through all the politically sensitive cases now, the most glaring being the trial of former deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in 1998-99, condemn by all and sundry as a ‘kangaroo’ trial.
We find that even back in 1789 after the French Revolution, the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen had this concept:- “Any society in which rights are not guaranteed, or in which the separation of powers is not defined, has no constitution.” (Article 16).
About a hundred years on, Lord Acton wrote this much-loved line:-
“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” (3 April 1887 in an letter to the Bishop of London, Mandell Creighton).
Then about another century forward in 1988, Malaysia saw the complete dismantling of the independence of the judiciary.
And what we learnt today is:-
The Chief Justice is answerable to the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department = Prime Minister.
Think no further.
Be brave.
ACT.
Anwar Ibrahim and Dr. Wan Azizah officially grandparents :) September 23, 2007
Posted by elizabethwong in Event, Malaysia, Note2Self, Politics.3 comments
Former deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, President of the People’s Justice Party and Member of Parliament, are now the granddaddy-o and grandmummy-o of Reformasi 🙂
First-time ma, Nurul Izzah Anwar gave birth to her first child around six-ish this evening.
Please extend your congratulations at Anwar Ibrahim’s blog.
elizabeth wong 