It has been a hectic two weeks for me, which explains why I wasn't able to update my blog as frequent as I would have liked. Just got some breathing space now to write something.
I guess by now most of you would have heard, read, or at least have an inkling of the Shock-a-Lingam tape scandal. For those of you who have not been following the matter, read here for more details. Of course, since then there has been a whole lot more development. For example, after facing pressure to show that the government is serious in tackling the explosive issue (instead of questioning the authenticity of the tape, or that Lingam was play-acting, or that "no criminal offence" has been committed), Najib decided to announce that a 3-man investigative panel would be set up to investigate the authenticity of the tape. No details yet as to what is the proper term of reference of the panel, as well as to what extent the panel would go to dig up the truth. This falls far short of the calls from various quarters, including the Bar Council, for a Royal Commission of Inquiry to not only investigate the veracity of the tape, but also to look into the deep rot that has set into the judiciary ever since the 1988 sacking of Tun Salleh Abas.
For instance, it really boggles the mind of all right-thinking Malaysians as to how the Chief Justice, Ahmad Fairuz, who is in the middle of this scandal, can choose to say in black-and-white "no comment" to queries from Malaysiakini, yet immediately after that calling Nazri (that "bodoh" Minister in the PM's department) to deny his involvement. When pressed why the CJ sees fit to "deny" through him, Nazri answers without batting an eyelid "I am his minister". Wow! Talk about the subservience of the judiciary to the executive in Bolehland!
The Bar Council, in the face of previous failed attempts to push the executive into doing something, decided to organize a "Walk for Justice" yesterday (26 Sep). Some 1,000 lawyers and civil society turned up at the march, despite the heavy presence of FRUs, police (including a PDRM helicopter entertaining the crowd with the flying skills of the pilot), and overcast sky (the rain fell heavily when the crowd reached the PM office complex...the heavens are weeping for the sorry state of Malaysia?). In fact, 7 chartered buses ferrying some 200 lawyers were barred from entering Putrajaya, forcing the passengers led by Edmund Bon to start the walk early by walking 5kms to the "Istana Keadilan" (Palace of Justice). The Bar Council President and 3 of her office bearers managed to meet the PM's secretary Wan Farid and handed over two memoranda - one calling for a Royal Commission of Inquiry to be set up, and another calling for the formation of an Independent Commission of Judiciary to promote and appoint judges in a transparent and accountable manner.
Meanwhile, the Bar Council has said they will give the 3-man inquiry panel a chance, but would still press for the setting up of a Royal Commission of Inquiry. Already there were reservations with the panel as it will be headed by a former Chief Judge of Malaya who played a key role in colluding with the powers-that-be to sack Tun Salleh Abas. The other 2 members are Lee Lam Thye (the ex-DAP MP who heads the National Service Council) and Mahadev Shankar (former Court of Appeal judge).
You can read more, and view photos, of the walk in various blogs. A whole list can be found in Lulu's blog here, and pictures here. Jeff has a series of excellent photos of the walk.
While we are facing a potential Constitutional crisis here, Burmese society led by thousands of monks have for the first time in 20 years since the brutal crackdown in 1988 showed defiance at the brutal military junta. What has started as pockets of demonstrations against the massive increase overnight of fuel prices (and consequent rise in prices of foodstuff and such) has evolved into a massive people movement led by the country's revered monks.
On Monday and Tuesday (Sep 24, 25), some 100,000 people led by the monks marched a few kilometers across Rangoon, chanting peace and democracy, and urging the military junta to seriously begin reconciliation with the Burmese people through their leader Aung San Suu Kyi (who has been under house arrest since May 2003 when a military-backed mob tried to assasinate her). Suu Kyi is rumoured to have been moved to the notorious Insein prison after she came out of her house on Saturday and greeted monks and supporters at the gates. The military junta has started to crackdown on the people on Wednesday (Sep 26), with reports starting to flow out of the closed-up country stating monks and civilians being injured critically and killed.
The world is watching in bated breath, while condemning and urging the military junta to show restraint and not repeat the 1988 bloodbath where some 3,000 people were mowed down by bullets and batons and such. Whereas the world didn't get to see what happened in 1988, now with the limited Internet access into and out of Burma, the world is able to watch the events more closely. China is said to be exerting some influence which explains the military junta's relative restraint up to now. Burma's stability and peace is strategic to China's interest, and encouraging national reconciliation and eventual democracy for Burma is in China's long term interest.
Source: Democratic Voice of Burma/Reuters
Meanwhile, the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Caucus on Myanmar led by Zaid Ibrahim has called for ASEAN leaders to pile the pressure on the military junta, fearing an eventual bloodbath should the world and Burma's closest neighbours choose to keep silent over the recent developments. After all, a democratic, peaceful, united, and prosperous Burma is beneficial to ASEAN. The Burmese refugee issue we are facing in Malaysia is due almost entirely to the persecution of the Burmese people by the military junta.
Keep up to date on the developments in Burma through Google News. I do not foresee a revolution anytime soon, but I pray that this is the beginning of the tipping point for Burma and its people to free themselves from the clutches of a brutal and paranoid military regime which has ruled Burma since 1962. What is significant is that after spending 11 of the last 18 years in house arrest, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi remains the leader and figurehead of the Burmese struggle for freedom. This has been re-affirmed when the monks successfully made contact with her on Saturday, and this moral affirmation by the revered monkhood would hopefully cement a more united front under her legitimate leadership to face the mounting pressure.
Just like how the BN government here tries to convince Malaysians of the irrelevance and non-threat of Anwar Ibrahim by blacking him out from the media, the military junta generals are doing much worse to Suu Kyi while at the same time vilifying her in any way possible, or blacking her out entirely from their monopoly of media in Burma.
"Please use your liberty to promote ours" - Aung San Suu Kyi
No comments:
Post a Comment