Foreign envoys walk out during Mahathir’s speech
- From: "@@@pluto" <%%%pluto@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 11:46:13 +0800
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/40171
Foreign envoys walk out during Mahathir?s speech
Pauline Puah and Roshan Jason
Sep 9, 05 11:31am
At least three foreign envoys staged a walkout when former premier Dr
Mahathir Mohamad criticised the United States and United Kingdom in his
speech at the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) annual
conference today.
British High Commissioner Bruce Elliot Cleghorn (photo) and Hungarian
ambassador Tamas Toth were among them.
However, the United States embassy refuted claims that its officials had
been part of the walkout as none were at the conference.
In the afternoon session, two US Embassy political officers Jeffrey Hilsgen
and Ravindran Manickam were present.
Mahathir had irked the delegates when he accused the US and United Kingdom
of being hypocritical in their call for human rights in relation to the war
on Iraq, the war on terrorism and the torture of prisoners.
?The US and UK took it up upon themselves to invade Iraq in order to remove
an allegedly authoritarian government.
?Worse still, the power which was supposed to save the Iraqi people has
broken international laws in human rights, by detaining Iraqis and others
and torturing them at Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib and elsewhere,? he said.
Quizzed on the incident at a press conference later, the former premier
said: ?As I said, as much as they have the right to criticise me, they
should give me the right to criticise them. But if you don't want to hear
my criticisms of them, then you are denying my right to speak out.?
Abusive speech
Later Cleghorn issued a one-paragraph statement to malaysiakini explaining
why he decided to leave.
"I was invited by Suhakam to attend the opening of their Human Rights Day
conference. I accepted out of respect for Suhakam and for Tun Mahathir as a
previous prime minister of Malaysia.
?Unfortunately I found myself listening to abuse and misrepresentation
about my country. I therefore left," said the British envoy.
It was learned that Toth left the venue as he was displeased with the tone
of Mahathir?s speech, which went against the theme of the conference -
human rights and globalisation.
Asked to comment on the walk-out, conference organising chairperson Prof
Chiam Heng Keng said that it was their right to do so.
Suhakam?s decision to invite Mahathir to address the conference had proven
to be controversial from the outset.
Several non-governmental organisations had boycotted the conference after
the commission refused to strike the former premier of its list of
speakers.
The organisations had accused Mahathir of violating numerous human rights
during his 22-year tenure in office.
No excuse
Met at the sidelines of the conference, Malaysian Bar Council president Yeo
Yang Poh said he was at the conference to show support for Suhakam.
?Being present doesn?t mean you have to agree with the view of the
speaker,? he added.
Asked if he agreed with the boycott by several NGOs, he said: ?There?s
nothing wrong with protesting. It is their right. But there is nothing
wrong with attending as well as it does not mean agreeing with the
speaker.?
On Mahathir?s speech, Yong said human rights is universal and thus human
rights advocates will never use any country as a model.
He said it is fine to compare with other countries but it should not be
used as an excuse not to look into the inadequacies in your own country.
?If I commit domestic violence, can I say I?m better than my neighbour who
is very abusive? He beats his wife once a week and I beat my wife three
times a month?? he added.
Lawyer Edmund Bon said he arrived after Mahathir?s speech as a sign of
protest and wanted to quiz him during the question-and-answer session.
?He is a cause of immense human rights violation in Malaysia for the past
22 years... I am very disappointed there was no question-and-answer
session,? he added.
Misplaced argument
Centre for Peace Initiative chairperson Anuar Tahir (photo) said he was
unaware of the boycott.
?We were not consulted about the boycott. If given the opportunity, I would
have signed (the protest memorandum),? he added.
Anuar said he attended the conference to listen to the speeches of other
human rights advocates.
?I am here to listen to other speakers, not to honour one man,? he added.
He was also not convinced with Mahathir?s argument that Western nations
committed graver human rights violations.
?He said detentions under the Internal Security Act is necessary. For us
it?s an abuse. No matter how big or small you abuse human rights, it is
(still) an abuse,? he said.
=====================================================
[pluto note: the above is a verbatim copy and paste message without any comment from me. If i have any comment, it is in square brackets thus [pn...]
[pluto note:
Reading without understanding is idiotic.
Understanding without cybernetic dialectics creates harmonious discords]
cheers
pluto
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