말레이시아 정부의 광주인권상 수상자 버르시(Bersih) 출국 금지 조치에 대한 항의 성명

말레이시아 정부는 공정선거와 민주주의를 위해 싸워온 버르시(Bersih)에 대한 탄압 중단해야

지난 5/15(일) 말레이시아 정부는 광주인권상 수상을 위해 한국으로 출국 예정이던 말레이사아 버르시(Bersih) 2.0의 마리아 친 압둘라(Maria Chin Abdulla) 대표의 출국을 불허했다. 말레이시아 정부는 마리아 친 압둘라 대표의 출국을 불허한 이유를 명확하게 밝히지 않고 있다. 5.18재단과 참여연대 그리고 아시아 각국에서 인권옹호 활동을 하고 있는 단체들의 연대체인 아시아민주화운동을위한연대(SDMA) 소속 단체 일동은 자국의 부패 척결, 민주주의, 공정 선거를 위해 활동해 온 버르시 활동가들에 대한 말레이시아 정부의 지속적인 탄압을 깊이 우려하며, 이동의 자유 제약 등 인권옹호자들에 대한 탄압을 즉각 중단할 것을 촉구한다.

말레이어로 ‘깨끗한’이라는 의미의 버르시 운동은 공정하고 깨끗한 선거를 촉구하며 지난 2010년부터 평화로운 집회를 이어왔다. 이에 호응하여 2015년에는 말레이시아뿐만 아니라 전 세계 65개국에서 500,000명이 지지와 연대의 집회를 개최하기도 했다. 이러한 말레이시아의 민주주의와 인권을 위한 버르시 운동을 높이 평가하며 한국의 광주 5.18재단은 올해 광주인권상 수상자로 버르시를 선정한 바 있다.

하지만 말레이시아 정부는 버르시를 불법집회로 규정하고 이를 주도하는 활동가들에 대한 탄압을 지속해왔다. 2011년에는 5만 명의 시민들이 참여한 버르시 집회 중에 1,667명이 체포되기도 했으며, 2012년에는 경찰이 최루탄을 사용하여 이들을 과잉진압하기도 했다. 지난해 12월에는 버르시 2.0 운영위원 히샤무딘 래스(Hishamuddin Rais)씨가 국제인권감시단의 일원으로 한국을 방문하려다 출국을 금지당하기도 했다. 마리아 친 뿐만 아니라 만딥 싱(Mandeep Singh), 아담 아딜(Adam Adli), 닉 나즈미(Nik Nazmi)와 같은 버르시 활동가들은 이미 소요죄 혐의나 평화로운 집회에 대한 법률 위반 등의 혐의로 기소되어 현재 재판 중에 있다.

최근에는 말레이시아 이민국이 외국에서 말레이시아 정부를 비판한 자들은 귀국 후 3년 간 출국이 금지된다는 정책을 갖고 있다는 사실이 밝혀지기도 했다. 하지만 이러한 이동의 자유에 대한 제약은 말레이시아 연방헌법 제9조 뿐만 아니라 세계인권선언, 시민적․정치적 권리 국제규약과 같은 국제인권규약에도 위반되는 것이다. 이렇듯 말레이시아의 평판을 훼손시키는 것은 인권과 민주주의 증진을 위해 힘써온 인권옹호자들이 아니라 인권을 탄압하고 민주주의의 가치를 훼손하고 있는 말레이시아 정부 자신이다. 다시 한 번 우리(SDMA)는 말레이시아 정부가 인권옹호자들에 대한 인권탄압 행위를 중단할 것을 촉구하며, 앞으로도 버르시 운동에 대한 지지와 연대를 이어갈 것임을 밝혀둔다.

2016. 5. 18

아시아민주화운동을위한연대

Solidarity for Democratization Movement in Asia (SDMA)

Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), Regional Asia / Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID), The Philippines / Imparsial, the Indonesian Human Rights Monitor, Indonesia / Odhikar, Bangladesh / People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD), Republic of Korea / The May 18 Memorial Foundation, Republic of Korea

※‘아시아민주화운동연대(Solidarity for Democratization Movements in Asia, SDMA)’는 아시아 인권 및 민주주의를 위해 2010년 만들어진 연대체임. SDMA에는 포럼아시아(지역), IID(필리핀), Imparsial(인도네시아), Odhikar(방글라데시), 참여연대(한국), 5.18기념재단(한국) 총 6개 단체가 소속되어 활동중에 있음.

Malaysia: Cease Arbitrary Detention and Deportation of Human Rights Defenders

We the undersigned civil society strongly condemn the detention and subsequent deportation of Adilur Rahman Khan on 20 July 2017 and express our grave concerns on the growing trend in Malaysia where local activists are not allowed to leave the country while activists from other countries are not allowed to enter into Malaysia.
 
Adilur Rahman Khan, an advocate of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh and Secretary of Odhikar arrived in Malaysia from Dhaka, Bangladesh at 4.50AM (+8GMT) on 20th July 2017 to attend the Second General Assembly Meeting of the Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (ADPAN). Upon arrival, he was refused entry and shown a piece of paper with two words meaning ‘suspect’ written in Malay. Till this day, the reason for denying his entry and his detention is still not explained by the Government of Malaysia.
 
During his detention by the Immigration Department of Malaysia, his phone and laptop was taken by the immigration officers and he was not allowed access to any lawyers. A lawyer also had difficulties reaching him as the immigration officers repeatedly failed to provide an answer as to the reason of his detention and refused to identify the officer-in-charge of Adilur’s detention. The lawyer’s attempt to visit him directly at Kuala Lumpur International Airport was further blocked through bureaucratic procedures wherein the lawyer was informed that no access would be given to Adilur without the lawyer having obtained permission from the immigration officers, who were refusing to respond.
 
Subsequent pressure by the lawyer resulted in an answer by an immigration officer that the detention was due to an order by the Royal Malaysian Police. The contact number of the investigating officer from Bukit Aman was handed to the lawyer. The contact number proved to be useless as the investigating officer refused all communications and actively rejected phone calls from activists and lawyers alike throughout the day. Communication with Adilur was only re-established following a visit by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) later in the evening.
 
The Government of Malaysia has obligations and has made commitments to respect and protect human rights defenders and their work. These are reflected in the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders^[1] which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1998 by consensus, including of Malaysia. They are reflected as well as for instance the most recent UN General Assembly Resolution on Human Rights Defenders adopted in 2015^[2] for which the Government of Malaysia specifically voted in favour. Malaysia is also presenting itself as a candidate for election as a member of the UN Human Rights Council, a process which the UN General Assembly has prescribed should take into account the country’s record on human rights.^[3]
 
The treatment of human rights defender Adilur Rahman Khan is, in the light of these obligations and commitments, wholly unacceptable. The Government of Malaysia must immediately give a detailed explanation for the circumstances of this case, apologize, and provide evidence it has taken measures to ensure that he and other human rights defenders are not subjected to such treatment again in future.
 
We also call for the Government of Malaysia to:
 
1) Reveal the reasons for interference with human rights defenders seeking to enter into Malaysia, including for purposes of attending international meetings for the purpose of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms^;[4]
 
2) Ensure that no human rights defenders are prevented from entering or exiting Malaysia by reason of having been named or included in any list on the basis of their activities promoting or protecting human rights, whether named or listed by a foreign government or the authorities of Malaysia;
 
3) Enact domestic legislation to incorporate the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders into the national laws of Malaysia, to ensure the future protection of human rights defenders and their work, having regard for instance to the Model Law developed by a wide range of global stakeholders and leading experts and jurists in 2016.[5]
 
For further information, please contact Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) at [email protected] or +603 7954 5724.
 
Human Rights Defenders barred from entering Malaysia:

1.   Joshua Wong, Hong Kong

Deported 26 May 2015 – talk on democracy

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32882510 

2.   Leung Kwok-Hung, Hong Kong

Deported 29 May 2015 – talk on democracy

https://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFKBN0OE0PL20150529

3.   Mugiyanto Sipin, Indonesia

Deported 7 January 2016 – to attend Bersih programme https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/325816

4.   Han Hui Hui, Singapore

Deported 18 June 2017 – to attend Youth Study Tour

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/han-hui-hui-prevented-entering-malaysia-and-deported

5.   Adilur Rahman Khan

Deported on 20 July 2017 – to attend ADPAN General Meeting

http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/malaysia-detains-prominent-bangladeshi-rights-activist-adilur-rahman-khan

 
 
NOTES:
Odhikar statement on Adilur’s detention: http://odhikar.org/detention-of-adilur-rahman-khan-at-klia-malaysia/
 

Endorsed by:
 
Malaysian NGO
1.   Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM)

2.   Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas (JERIT)

3.   Community Development Centre (CDC)

4.   Pusat KOMAS

5.   Aliran

6.   National Human Rights Society (HAKAM)

7.   Teoh Beng Hock Trust for Democracy

8.   BERSIH 2.0

9.   North South Initiative (NSI)

10. ENGAGE

 
 
International NGO
1.   Article 19

2.   Front Line Defenders

3.   Indonesian Human Rights Monitor (IMPARSIAL)

4.   Indonesian Legal Roundtable (ILR)

5.   Institute Democracy (ID-Indonesia)

6.   International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)

7.   Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL)

8.   People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), India

9.   Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC), Nepal

10.South India Cell for Human Rights Education and Monitoring (SICHREM), India

11.Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), India

12.Programme Against Custodial Torture and Impunity (PACTI), India

13.Korean House for International Solidarity (KHIS), South Korea

14.People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD), South Korea

15.Judicial System Monitoring Program (JSMP), Timor-Leste

16.INFORM Human Rights Documentation Centre, Sri Lanka

17.Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN), the Maldives

18.Bytes for All, Pakistan (B4A), Pakistan

19.Association for Law, Human Rights and Justice (HAK Association), Timor Leste

20.Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), Indonesia

21.Think Centre, Singapore

[1] General Assembly Resolution 53/144 (1998), “Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.”

[2] General Assembly Resolution 70/161 (2015), “Human rights defenders in the context of the Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.”

[3] General Assembly Resolution 60/251 (2006), “Human Rights Council” paragraph 8.

[4] See particularly article 5 of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.

[5] International Service for Human Rights, “Model Law for the Recognition and Protection of Human Rights Defenders”, https://www.ishr.ch/sites/default/files/documents/model_law_full_digital_updated_15june2016.pdf . 

Joint Statement [See/Download]