APHR Welcomes Release of Bersih Activist, Slams 'Authoritarianism'
Jakarta. Pro-human rights lawmakers from across Southeast Asia on Tuesday (29/11) welcomed the release of Malaysian democracy activists Maria Chin Abdullah after she was arrested ahead of a rally earlier this month.
Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) slammed the arrest, noting Maria had been held under Malaysia’s tough anti-terror laws, despite her role in the Bersih 2.0 movement having no apparent links to terrorism.
“Maria’s detention under anti-terrorism legislation was both ludicrous and frightening. But hers is far from the only case of authorities detaining and harassing critics. The politicized use of the security forces and the courts to try to intimidate critics and stomp out dissent is appalling and must not be tolerated,” APHR chairman and Malaysian lawmaker Charles Santiago said in a statement issued Tuesday.
The release comes two days after political cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque was arrested under a 1948 sedition law. He has since been released, but APHR warns the crackdown amid increasing criticism of Prime Minister Najib Razak and ruling party United Malays National Organization is a “dangerous slide into authoritarianism.”
“The abuse of legal avenues to detain and harass Maria, Zunar, and other individuals represents a crude attempt to silence legitimate opposition voices,” Charles said.
“The government should consider the dangerous consequences of co-opting arms of the state to go after political opponents. In doing so, it is undermining critical democratic institutions.”
APHR called on Najib to protect pluralism and “open channels for dialogue with his detractors.”
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