Under helgen som gått fängslades Howard Lee och andra oppositionella i Malaysia. Howard Lee är politiker från socialdemokraternas systerparti i Malaysia som heter Democratic Action Party (DAP) och ordförande för den internationella socialdemokratiska ungdomsorganisationen (IUSY).
Under flera år har oppositionen kritiserat den sittande premiärministern i Malaysia för den omfattande korruptionsskandal som har rullats upp i landet. För den som vill läsa mer kan jag rekommendera Wall Street Journals granskning (WSJ om 1MDB-skandalen). Ett sätt att försvåra kritiken har varit att just fängsla oppositionella.
Redan förra året vid Progressive Alliance möte i Malaysia tog vi den här bilden för att kritisera de politiska fängslandena, bland annat den samlade oppositionens ledare Anwar Ibrahim, vars fängslande kritiserats av bland annat Human Rights Watch och Amnesty.
Nedan bifogar jag ett uttalande från Progressive Alliance som kräver att Howard Lee omedelbart släpps.
Avslutningsvis skulle ingen bli gladare än jag om ni delade detta inlägg för att sprida information och öka pressen på regimen i Kuala Lumpur.
Progressive Alliance calls for the immediate release of Howard Lee
We, as progressive political parties in both government and opposition worldwide, are deeply concerned about the imprisonment of Howard Lee, the President of the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) and member of our Malaysian sister party, Democratic Action Party (DAP). Also Maria Chin, chairwoman of the opposition group Berish, Berish official Mandeep Singh and at least 10 others have been detained.
The Progressive Alliance calls for the immediate release of Howard Lee and the other arrested opposition politicians and activists.
The escalating crackdown on freedom of expression and assembly in the country is evidenced by these detentions during a march of thousands of anti-government protesters today in Malaysia’s capital. The opposition electoral reform group “Berish” – ”clean” in Malay language – is demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Razak over his alleged involvement in a multi-billion dollar corruption scandal.
The selective and politically motivated prosecutions of members of the opposition and the resistance of the government to clear the allegations at the same time have a dramatic effect on the future political and social development in Malaysia. These actions raise internationally worrying questions about the rule of law and the status of human rights in Malaysia.
We express our full solidarity with the Malaysian democratic opposition movement, the family and friends of the arrested, and the people of Malaysia. We have and will never stand inactive in witness of injustice and violation of human rights.
Mathias Tegnér 