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Rights abuses in Malaysia reminiscent of earlier suppression, stifling controls
Agence France Presse - December 9, 2010
Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia's leading human rights watchdog on Thursday accused the government of rights violations this year that signaled a return to the era of former authoritarian leader Mahathir Mohamad.
Suaram said in its annual report that despite reforms promised by Prime Minister Najib Razak when he came to power in 2009, the ruling coalition "continues to display intolerance towards dissent and free speech in 2010."
It said the use of draconian internal security laws that allowed for detention without trial, bans on public protests and controls on the news media were ominous.
"Taken together, all the incidents and controversies that have happened signal a return to the Mahathir era, a period of stifling control, abuse of powers and suppression of human rights," said the report's author, Hasbeemasputra Abu Bakar.
Mahathir, who ruled for more than two decades until 2003, was known for his tough stance against political opponents, many of whom were locked up under the tough Internal Security Act.
Hasbeemasputra said recent pledges to amend the ISA failed to address the "fundamental flaw of detention without trial" and that the government used the law "as a tool to instill fear and stifle political dissent."
A relic of the British colonial era, the ISA has in the past been used to detain alleged terrorists as well as government opponents. Suaram said 15 people were presently being held under the act.
The report said the government was also flouting the "constitutionally enshrined right to freedom of assembly" with the arrest of more than 100 people taking part in street demonstrations this year.
And it said freedom of speech had been curtailed with the banning of several publications critical of the government, which it also accused of using publishing laws to "stifle dissent and alternative opinions."
All newspapers in Malaysia need a permit that must be renewed annually. The licensing system allows the government to close news media outlets at will and puts publishers under pressure to toe the line.
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