Wednesday, March 17, 2004
Human Rights in Malaysia
Whilst I was away...
While I was in Singapore, a group of about 60 human rights activitists and NGO workers gathered in front of police headquarters to submit a memorandum calling for investigation into police brutality and deaths in custody and a stop to the misuse of power. The police, in typical fashion, reacted with...force! They told the people gathered to disperse, but almost immediately used a chemical-laced water cannon on the crowd, not giving them proper (and legally required) time to move away. 17 people were arrested, including several of my friends. Lathefa, a human rights lawyer, was arrested beside her car, showing that she was, in fact, obeying the orders and just trying to go home. Several people sustained injuries.
If I had been in town, I would have been there and I'm sad to have missed the action. I don't think I would have been in danger of arrest (though it probably would have been good for the cause if the American Embassy had to get involved!) Laura, a Northeastern law student interning here with Lathefa's firm, was there, snapping pictures. After most of the action had settled down, a policeman saw her (not the first time he saw her) and demanded: "What are you doing here? Why are you here!?" She put on an innocent, blank face and said simply: "Bird park? Isn't this the way to the bird park?," turned right around and walked away. Genius to play dumb-tourist even though they both knew it wasn't true because she had been there all day.
Read more about it here, on Malaysian's alternative newspaper that can't be censored because it's online. Username: Jilljolene and password: password.
Chin Refugees in Malaysia
Click here to read an article I wrote about these Myanmar (Burmese) refugees and how they live in Malaysia. There are also pictures posted from a visit to their jungle camp.
At the end of April I will be going to the northern part of Thailand to visit a girl I worked with in Egypt who is volunteering with refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border. More on that later.
Whilst I was away...
While I was in Singapore, a group of about 60 human rights activitists and NGO workers gathered in front of police headquarters to submit a memorandum calling for investigation into police brutality and deaths in custody and a stop to the misuse of power. The police, in typical fashion, reacted with...force! They told the people gathered to disperse, but almost immediately used a chemical-laced water cannon on the crowd, not giving them proper (and legally required) time to move away. 17 people were arrested, including several of my friends. Lathefa, a human rights lawyer, was arrested beside her car, showing that she was, in fact, obeying the orders and just trying to go home. Several people sustained injuries.
If I had been in town, I would have been there and I'm sad to have missed the action. I don't think I would have been in danger of arrest (though it probably would have been good for the cause if the American Embassy had to get involved!) Laura, a Northeastern law student interning here with Lathefa's firm, was there, snapping pictures. After most of the action had settled down, a policeman saw her (not the first time he saw her) and demanded: "What are you doing here? Why are you here!?" She put on an innocent, blank face and said simply: "Bird park? Isn't this the way to the bird park?," turned right around and walked away. Genius to play dumb-tourist even though they both knew it wasn't true because she had been there all day.
Read more about it here, on Malaysian's alternative newspaper that can't be censored because it's online. Username: Jilljolene and password: password.
Chin Refugees in Malaysia
Click here to read an article I wrote about these Myanmar (Burmese) refugees and how they live in Malaysia. There are also pictures posted from a visit to their jungle camp.
At the end of April I will be going to the northern part of Thailand to visit a girl I worked with in Egypt who is volunteering with refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border. More on that later.
