Freedom Film Fest… THE HEAT IS ON!

 FreedomFilmFest2010 is back for the 7th year. The annual human rights film festival will be held throughout the month of October & November, gracing cities across the nation including Petaling Jaya, Johor Bahru, Miri and Georgetown!

 


This year, KOMAS is proud to announce that the main premier of FreedomFilmFest2010 held in Petaling Jaya is organised in cooperation with the SELANGOR STATE GOVERNMENT under the care of Exco Kebudayaan YB Rodziah Ismail.

Date:
16 & 17 October, 2010
Venue:
Menara PKNS, 17 Jalan Yong Shook Lin, 46200 Petaling Jaya (Google MAP)
*Nearby LRT Putra Asiajaya or LRT Putra Taman Jaya.
RapidKL Buses: T505, U66, T629
The two-day festival will feature 14 award winning Malaysian and international human rights documentaries.This is a private closed door event. Please REGISTER ONLINE to get your FREE tickets:
http://freedomfilmfest.komas.org/tickets

Enquiries: [email protected]komas.org

 

3 Arrested During Villagers’ Protest at Kampung Sungai Terentang, Rawang

 

Urgent appeal: 07 October 2010

The authorities’ intolerance towards peaceful assembly continues with the police arresting 3 persons at Kampung Sungai Terentang, Rawang. The arrest occurred at 9.30am during a protest by the villagers against the intended installation of high-tension electric cables and a transmission towerby Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB). Today, TNB brought more than a hundred staff and police personnel to Kampung Sungai Terentang, Rawang Selangor forthe planned installation.

Those arrested are currently detained at Balai Polis Rawang.

Those arrested are:

1. Wan Han Ming

2. Alex Gan

3. Kumaran

SUARAM strongly condemns the police for their continued attacks on freedom of expression, a fundamental right which is guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Federal Constitution of Malaysia. SUARAM condemns the police for misusing their power by colluding with corporations instead of maintaining peace in this situation.

Released By,

Yap Heng Lung

Coordinator

_______________________________________________________________

Urgent action needed:

 

Please write protest letters to the government and the police to express your strongest condemnation of the arrests and the ongoing denial of rights of expression. Please also demand the Malaysian government to allow Malaysian citizen to practice their freedom of expression as stated in Federal Constitution.

Please call and send your protest letters to:

1.Balai Polis Rawang

Polis Diraja Malaysia

Rawang,

48000 Selangor.

Tel: +603-60916222

2.Ibupejabat Polis Daerah Gombak

Polis Diraja Malaysia

53100 Gombak,

Selangor.

Tel: +603-61385222

Faks: +603-61369408

3.Ibu Pejabat Polis Kontinjen Kuala Lumpur

Polis Diraja Malaysia

Jalan Hang Tuah,

51100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: +603-21460522

Faks: +603-20726786

4.Inspector-General of Police

Tan Sri Ismail Omar

Ibu Pejabat Polis Diraja Malaysia,

50560 Bukit Aman,

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: +603-2262 6015

Fax: +603-2272 5613

SAMPLE LETTER

[Letterhead of your organisation]

Inspector-General of Police

Tan Sri Ismail Omar

Ibu Pejabat Polis Diraja Malaysia,

50560 Bukit Aman,

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: +603 2262 6015

Fax: +603 2272 5613

Dear Sir,

Re: Release the 3 persons arrested

We are writing to you to express our outrage and our strongest condemnation over the arrests of the 3 individuals at Kampung Sungai Terentang, Rawang9.30am, 7 October 2010. They were arrested during a protest by the villagers when Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) brought more than a hundred workers and police personnel to Kampung Sungai Terentang, Rawang, forinstallation of high-tension electric cables and a transmission tower.

Those arrested have been brought to the Rawang district police station.

We are appalled by the police’s latest actions and view this as yet another attempt to intimidate Malaysian citizens from exercising their freedom to express their views.

We demand that the three are released immediately and unconditionally. We further demand that the police force should stop the assault on freedom of expression and focus on fighting of crime instead of colluding with corporations in matters such as this.

We would like to remind you that freedom of expression is guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as the Federal Constitution of Malaysia.

Yours sincerely,

[Name]

10 Kumpulan masyarakat sivil menghantar surat untuk berdialog dengan Ketua Polis Negara, Tan Sri Ismail Omar

6hb Oktober, Sepuluh kumpulan masyarakat sivil telah menghantar surat perjumpaan kepada Ketua Polis Negara (KPN) dan diterima oleh wakilnya iaitu Inspektor Khairil Azuad dari Pejabat Urus Setia KPN pada pukul 11pagi hari ini. Antara kumpulan masyarakat sivil yang hadir termasuk; Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM), All Women’s Action Society Malaysia (AWAM), Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ), Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas (JERIT), Pusat Komunikasi Masyarakat (KOMAS), LLG Cultural Development Centre, Persatuan Masyarakat Selangor dan Wilayah Persekutuan (PERMAS), Pusat Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (EMPOWER), Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia (SABM), dan Malaysia Youth and Students Democratic Movement (DEMA).
Duabelas kumpulan masyarakat sivil menghantar surat kepada KPN untuk mandapatkan satu tarikh perjumpaan dengan KPN berkenaan beberapa isu yang kami sentiasa mengambil berat. Antaranya adalah:
  1. Isu mengenai rekod hak asasi polis
  2. Isu tembak mati yang dilakukan oleh polis
  3. Kes kematian dalam tahanan polis
  4. Isu siasatan,
  5. Isu perhimpunan awam,
  6. Setakat mana cadangan-cadangan Suruhanjaya Diraja untuk menambah baik PDRM diambil kira,
  7. Penubuhan Suruhanjaya Bebas Pengaduan dan Salah Laku Polis (IPCMC) dan
  8. Isu penggunaan senjata api oleh polis.
Penyelaras SUARAM, Yap Heng Lung menyatakan bahawa mereka juga akan mengutarakan cadangan dan tuntutan keseluruhan masyarakat sivil semasa berdialog dengan KPN nanti.
Inspektor Khairil Azuad dari Pejabat Urus Setia KPN menyatakan kepada wakil Kumpulan Masyarakat bahawa pihak polis akan mengambil masa sebulan untuk memberikan maklum balas berkenaan perjumpaan dengan KPN. Tindakan susulan daripada pihak Polis akan dibuat oleh pihak SUARAM.
Dikeluarkan oleh,
Yap Heng Lung
Penyelaras SUARAM

LIFT BAN AND REPEAL THE PPPA

PRESS STATEMENT: 1 OCTOBER 2010

Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) condemns the Ministry of Home Affairs’ banning of the book, ‘The March to Putrajaya – Malaysia’s New Era is at Hand’. The ministry’s secretary-general Mahmood Adam said the book, written by author Kim Quek, is “not suitable for general reading”; contains elements of “baseless accusations and speculations” against national leaders; and could incite public hatred and anger. The Home Ministry is being unreasonable and defensive by linking criticism of the ruling government with public disorder when criticism of those in power is a hallmark of a functioning democracy.

SUARAM believes that no books should be banned to prevent the circulation of ideas, and that the people should be free to seek and receive them. A representative of the book’s distributor, Gerak Budaya, said that some copies of The March to Putrajaya were seized by the authorities from a Popular Bookstore outlet in Kuantan Megamall, Pahang on 19th August. The undemocratic measure of confiscating the books is clearly a move to intimidate retailers from selling them.

SUARAM calls for an immediate lifting of the ban and the repeal of the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA), under which the ban is being imposed. Once again, application of the law is arbitrary and is being abused by the state as a political tool for hegemonic purposes rather than to maintain social order.

The government should respect Article (10) of the Federal Constitution and Article (19) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights(UDHR) which clearly state that, everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Released by,

Nalini.E

SUARAM Coordinator

Press Statement: 27 September 2010

Political Cartoonist Arrested: More Government Crackdowns to Limit Freedom of Expression

SUARAM condemns the arrest of cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque (better known as Zunar), which points to the continuing trend of intimidation to curb freedom of expression in the country.

10 police officers from the Brickfields police station, led by ASP Arikrishnan Apparau, raided his office premises at 4pm on 24thSeptember and seized 66 copies of his latest book, Cartoon-o-phobia, which was due to be launched that night.

Zunar’s arrest under the Sedition Act and the banning of his previous 3 books – 1 Funny Malaysia, Perak Darul Kartun and Isu Dalam Kartun, appears to be the latest of the numerous examples of the government’s attempts to intimidate and selectively target certain public personalities to shrink the public space for free expression and discussion, and to silence voices of dissent.

Zunar’s critical stance towards the BN government in his books has made him a target for harassment and persecution by the government. As such, SUARAM denounces this arrest as yet another form of abuse of power by the police, which appears to be acting at the behest of the government in its ongoing attacks and intimidation on freedom of expression – a fundamental right which is guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Federal Constitution of Malaysia.

During the arrest, Zunar was moved to multiple police stations, starting from Brickfields, and finally ending up in Sepang. This ‘roadshow’ was unnecessary since he could’ve had his statement taken at Brickfields and released on police bail. His lawyer was also not given adequate notice for his remand hearing and the remand order was given without his lawyer being present. This is a clear abuse of power; a denial of Zunar’s right to justice; and a contravention of the legal process, where the judiciary is supposed to protect the rights of detainees.

SUARAM therefore strongly urges the government to immediately stop its harassment and persecution of those who exercise their constitutional right to hold and express views and opinions, including those critical of the government and its policies.

The clear violations of fundamental human rights in the government’s ongoing attacks on freedom of expression brings to question Malaysia’s commitment to the very basic and minimal human rights standards which are universally accepted and observed, let alone its obligations as a current elected member of the UN Human Rights Council.

Released by,

Hasbeemasputra Abu Bakar

Coordinator