ASSK’s Monday trial – Malaysia/ASEAN should pressure Myanmar junta as ASEAN Charter should not be human rights “whitewash”


The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak should lead Malaysia and ASEAN to pressure the Myanmar military junta to release Burmese democracy icon and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to prove to the world that the ASEAN Charter is no “whitewash” for the most egregious human rights violations in Myanmar.

Malaysia and ASEAN’s credibility in international society are also dragged through the mud when Suu Kyi was indicted with the ridiculous charge of breaching the terms of her house arrest over a bizarre incident in which a US Vietnam veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder swam to her lakeside house.

Charged under the country’s Law Safeguarding the State from the Dangers of Subversive Elements, which carries jail sentence up to five years, Suu Kyi faces lengthy and harsh incarceration in Rangoon’s notorious Insein prison.

The purpose clearly is to stretch her detention past its supposed expiry date this month and through controversial elections due in 2010, an important plank of the Myanmese military junta’s sham “12-step road to democracy”.

Suu Kyi, 63, in fragile health, has been confined for 13 of the past 19 years. As rightly pointed out by the United Nations special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar, Tomas Ojea Quintana, Suu Kyi’s detention is unlawful, both according to international law and Myanmar’s own domestic legislation.

Suu Kyu cannot under any circumstances be blamed for the intrusion into her home, especially as her house was well-guarded by Myanmese security forces.

The Malaysian Parliamentary Caucus on Myanmar and the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) are gravely concerned about the worsening of the human rights situation in Myanmar and call on Malaysia and ASEAN to take immediate initiatives to remind and ensure that the Myanmese military junta abide by the ASEAN Charter and its commitment to promote, protect and respect human rights in Myanmar.

What the Myanmese military junta has done is no different from an open renunciation and tearing up of the ASEAN Charter with regard to its commitment on human rights.

Malaysia and other ASEAN nations cannot stand idly by at such an open desecration of the ASEAN Charter and an emergency meeting of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ meeting should be convened immediately, ahead of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) of Foreign Ministers scheduled in Bangkok in July on the latest ordeal of the Burmese democracy icon, Suu Kyi and over 2,100 political prisoners.

I had tried to meet the Foreign Minister, Datuk Anifah Aman yesterday on the latest persecution of Suu Kyi but was informed that he was in the United States, returning to Malaysia midday Sunday.

I have informed his political secretary, Datuk Norharidi to convey to the Foreign Minister on his return the request of the Malaysian Parliamentary Caucus on Myanmar and the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) for an urgent meeting before Suu Kyi’s trial on Monday.

  1. #1 by Taxidriver on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 12:22 pm

    Certainly Asean cannot keep silent and watch the repression against human rights in one of their member countries. A strong and clear signal must be sent to the Military rulers there; and tough measures should be meted out to force the Junta to comply.

    But Najib is not the right person to lead Asean to pressure the military Govt. own record back home. Pick any other Asean leader except Najib, please.

  2. #2 by Taxidriver on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 12:23 pm

    correction: because of his own record back home.

  3. #3 by siamo on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 12:43 pm

    It is no wonder that there has been not development in Myanmar and the junta do not care. Given that there as US adminstration who strongly believe in torture, how can the US ever stand up to the world.

    Dick Cheney is still forcefully arguing that he was right and the Bush administration was right to torture and it is needed to save lives? What a load of nonsense. So, if we have nation which is stronger than the US, can that nation take Cheney into custody, bring him to a remote island and torture him until he reveals all the names and people he has tortured. It the US can do, others can do it too!

    This culture of “we can do it, you cannot” is ingrained in American culture. It is alright for the Americans to hunt the red indians to extinction and take their land! And, they are pushing for Tibet’s independence? For American interest or for Tibetan interest. So, that an independent and weak Tibet will call for American troops to be stationed there?

    It is hoped that the Obama administration will be different!

  4. #4 by Joshua Tan Kok Hauw on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 12:56 pm

    Asean as well as China should impose an trade embargo on the illegal, unscupulous, wicked , corrupt and immoral Myanmar government, so that it will not be able to support the 500,000-strong army.

  5. #5 by dawsheng on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 1:09 pm

    Asian Charter? What is that?

  6. #6 by OrangRojak on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 1:26 pm

    Whose credibility is not mud? Freedom isn’t a universal constant. Like stock values, it rises and falls. The rice bowl is a persuasive argument – even if there’s one grain of rice in it, we have to keep the table steady in case the bowl falls. It would be more credible to stand up and say “I don’t care enough to make a difference”, than to stand up and declare “I care”, like an insurance salesman on a home shopping channel. Credibility is not a universal quality either. There are people who believe what they see on home shopping channels. Maybe a political action from Malaysia / ASEAN aimed at Myanmar would be ‘credible’ in their eyes.

    Sometimes people have to sort out their own problems. When things go wrong in Malaysia, we see “Police help us!” … “LKS help us!” … “Karpal help us” … “Courts help us!” … “Najib help us!” … “Your Majesty help us!”. At the end of the day we’re still alone, and we still have our little bit of rice, even if it might not be as easy to swallow as we might like.

    I don’t think asking an ASEAN leader to do something is a credible course of action. Which ASEAN leader is a pillar of international respectability? Which ASEAN leader is universally believed to protect the freedoms of their people with total equality of opportunity? You could easily ask the same of International leaders. Perhaps there are a few, I can’t easily bring one to mind.

    Perhaps if someone knows of a completely independent postal service in Burma, I’ll write a letter myself. It’s my job to be outraged, my job to do something about it. Maybe I’ll write two letters: one to the military junta to express my outrage, and one to the people of Burma with my ‘tough love’ in it: “It’s your problem, you sort it out.” In fact, I’m not even going to write. I don’t want to give anybody the impression that I care. If I thought for a second that my caring might be of consolation to the Burmese people and might make the burden of oppression more bearable, I would feel as though I had done them a grave disservice.

    People of Burma! I don’t care one jot about you! Nobody really cares! You see? Nobody has done anything of value for you in decades! If you don’t want a miserable life and a wretched death, do something about it yourselves! Nobody wants miserable, basket-case friends! Once you’re the ‘free, self-determined people of Burma’, you’ll find you’ve got lots of jolly new friends who’ll care a lot about you and shower you with gifts. It’s up to you! Now f off!

    There you go, discharged my responsibility to the Burmese people. My little bit of rice will taste better now. Now if you can get an ASEAN leader to go on the TV and be straightforwardly abusive to the Myanmar leaders, I’d be impressed. Something along the lines of “You stupid, retarded, malicious, r soles. Retire now, disband your armies and have hold free and fair national elections.” would suffice. But purlease, a ‘strongly worded statement’? I’m not even going to look.

  7. #7 by frankyapp on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 1:59 pm

    ASEAN,what ‘s democracy she’s talking about to tell Myanmar what to do ?. Just look at Malaysia,what democracy do we have ?. Look at Perak . Look south,Singapore,ask LGY what democracy he’s practising ?. And over east malaysia’s neighbour BRUNEI,there the Monarch owns everything,the whole country belongs to him .All political activities are banned,no election,all legislature assembly members are appointed by the sultan and most of those appointed are his relatives.The monarch who also appointed himself as Prime minister,Finance minister and defence minister .What’s ASEAN has to say about it ? NOTHING !!!.

  8. #8 by frankyapp on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 2:10 pm

    Sorry,it should read “legislative “

  9. #9 by sheriff singh on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 3:00 pm

    Thailand got internal problems. Indonesia got internal problems. Phillipines got internal problems. Malaysia got internal problems.

    And we want them to go tell them Burmans to behave democratically?

    Call Rambo. He’s effective. 019-johnrambo

  10. #10 by yhsiew on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 3:20 pm

    Keep an eye on Malaysia so that it does not follow in the footsteps of Myanmar!

  11. #11 by collin1202 on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 3:36 pm

    YB,

    It is disheartening to read such cowardly acts by the ‘unreasonable & power craze military leaders of Myanmar’, deliberately punishing a powerless woman for fear of losing power one day which is a matter of time only. The unity of ASEAN though one of their ‘cardinal’ agreements is not to interfere in one’s domestic affair is slowly but surely losing integration, sad to say that. These militant leaders have to go, and have to go fast before the country can attain growth, unity and prosperity. I am from Singapore, I will root for Aung San Suu Kyi and her people to stand united as one people, one nation. Never give up!

  12. #12 by chengho on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 3:39 pm

    China is the key player , just engage China to do the job , Asean do not have to waste the time…
    LKS should be in Najib delegation…..

  13. #13 by Onlooker Politics on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 4:04 pm

    No one political leader who has the ruling power in Asia seems to stand on the moral high ground in order for him to gain the legitimacy to pick up the first stone and throw it to the Myanmar Junta Government, just like nobody seemed to be daring in throwing the first stone when Jesus asked those who had not sinned before to throw the first stone on the adulterers who were caught in nude.

    However, I can positively sense the good sign for certain degree of improvement in the democracy advancement of the Myanmar people. Perhaps one can safely argue now that at least the Myanmar government has already permitted such a hardcore political dissenter like Aung San Suu Kyi to go through a trial in court (even though it may just be Kangaroo court) before her jail term is to be extended for another 5 years.

    However, in Malaysia we find that many ISA detainees have been denied of an opportunity to see their family members, to consult a medical doctor and to engage the service of a lawyer. And in Malaysia only those who can afford to spend about RM200,000 will be permitted to engage a legal counsel for purpose of filing a lawsuit to the High Court in order to secure a writ of Habeas Corpus for the client who is put under the ISA detention either by the Home Minister or by the IGP.

    The Malaysian government simply has no moral legitimacy because it does not stand in a moral high ground in order for it to carry out the duty of moral suasion for purpose of lobbying the Myanmar Junta Government to give up the tyrannic approach in the course of performing the governance. The majority of Malaysian people do not seem to have the ability to offer much help except that the only option left for them to do freely is to pray hard for the good health, personal safety and inner peace of Aung San Suu Kyi.

  14. #14 by ctc537 on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 4:08 pm

    China is probably the only country that can persuade the military junta in Myanmar to behave and release ASSK, but it just does not want to damage its relations with the military junta for it has strategic and other interests in Myanmar, and her own gross violation of human rights in Tibet.
    The sad truth is the military junta in Myanmar can continue to hold on to power because it has full backing from Beijing, both economically and the supplies of military hardware.
    None of the Asean countries is influential and powerful enough to make the military junta cringe. Not even the United States.

  15. #15 by Jeffrey on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 4:46 pm

    Here YB Kit asks PM Najib in the interest of democracy and human rights, to lead Malaysia/ASEAN to pressure the Myanmar military junta to release Aung San Suu Kyi. Actually it would be of greater priority to urge Najib to take care of democracy and human rights in Malaysia’s own backyard first (Perak for example) before concerning with Myanmar, but never mind…..We cannot escape hypocrisy and have international responsibilities to both ASEAN & United Nations.

    For ASEAN, the starting point is ASEAN Charter inked on 20.11.2007 by all 10 members countries and since then fully ratified by them.

    Whether Kit is right to urge Najib to take Myanmar to task through auspices of ASEAN depends on answer to the very first question: Does ASEAN (or any member country or its leader like Malaysia and Najib) have legal and moral right under ASEAN Charter to hold and make Myanmar accountable for what its military junta has done or continues to do to Suu Kyi??

    The answer to the question is Yes. Myanmar’s apparent singular commitment to human rights in terms of gender equality is its willingness to torture men and women alike! Other than that, it is a govt where, according to anecdotal reports, which top echelon of military/govt officials enrich themselves with narcotic trade. If true it is a regime that narcotize even the people within ASEAN countries!

    The only defence the Junta has is the principle under the Charter that ASEAN members are committed to non inteference in each others internal affairs. However the Charter in terms of intentions, broad objectives, specific principles etc are reprete with expressions of strengthening democracy, human rights, good governance etc and there is institutionalised in the Charter an ASEAN Human Rights Body institutionalised – per article 14.

    Admitedly, when Myanmar was first invited to join ASEAN it already had already a blemished human rights record incarcerating Suu Kyi. So why did the rest invite this renegade to join? They will be tarnished by association. However here’s their argument : they argued that we should engage the Military Junta – not alienate it. {Never mind again this is a pathetic excuse that we’re interested in (say) selling arms to them or help them extract black gold (oil)}.

    So ASEAN members welcomed Myanmar’s General Thein Sein to sign Asean Charter. No matter how bad Myanmar’s human rights record at the point of first entry as member – or even at subsequent point of inking Charter in 2007 – it would be reasonable to expect the Military junta’s human rights record and treatment of Suu Kyi to improve from that point onwards – and NOT deteriorate. The present action against Suu Kyi proves the latter. This is breach of spirit and letter of ASEAN Charter and disrespect of ASEAN Club Rules by Myanmar. Action must be taken, what form is not sure, but it should be taken up at ASEAN Summit level.
    Myanmar general may plead again its defence of non –interference and say those other members who live in glass houses (ie equally guilty of human rights abuses), don’t throw stone.

    ASEAN’s response should be firm: (1) Non interference in domestic affairs does not mean nonchalance to flagrant breach of membership or society’s basic principles that bathe every other member in bad light due to association; (2) though no ASEAN country can hold high claim to being democratic, yet no one is as bad and rock bottomed as Myanmar is in terms of muman rights violation. Having it in the Association tarnishes and embarrasses everyone else. If Myanmar remains recalcitrant, the ultimate action for the ASEAN Summit to take is to expel it from the Grouping. Hopefully economic sanctions/pressure (even from ASEAN region) will bring the military junta to its knees.

  16. #16 by i_love_malaysia on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 5:15 pm

    When the Malaysian govt of the day is not right, it just do not have the courage and moral right and standard to ask others like Myanmar junta to behave properly!!! We may be slightly better, we go to the court to be seen to have democratic process which the junta is doing the same. The next time if a robber entered our house illegally, we will be punished by law for not locking our house “properly” that the robber could rob us!!! Habislah tu!!!

  17. #17 by i_love_malaysia on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 5:22 pm

    chengho Says:

    Today at 15: 39.45 (1 hour ago)
    China is the key player , just engage China to do the job , Asean do not have to waste the time…
    LKS should be in Najib delegation…..
    —————————————

    When comes to this you want China to be the key player, but when comes to other things that benefit you, you want to wallop every thing by yourself!!! Celaka punya orang!!!

  18. #18 by limkamput on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 6:09 pm

    Actually it would be of greater priority to urge Najib to take care of democracy and human rights in Malaysia’s own backyard first (Perak for example) before concerning with Myanmar, but never mind….. Jeffrey

    Here we have the greatest nincompoop who does not even know the embedded message of LKS and yet want to talk so much. Pressuring Myanmar is paramount. It is not about settling our own backyard first. Myanmar is forever a bad example for most incumbent governments in ASEAN to follow. Suu Kyi won popular votes more than any government in Asia but she has never had the opportunity to govern even though more than a decade has past. You think this same thing will not happen in other countries around the region?

    Nincompoop, may I ask you what is the difference between the yellow shirt and the red shirt demonstrations in Thailand? It is not about people power. It is about one has the backing of the army and the other has not. What the difference between Sivakumar and Genesan? It is not about people’s support. It is about one has the support of the administrative machinery and police and the other has not. Got it? I think this fellow may be subtly working as the cyber trooper already.

  19. #19 by limkamput on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 6:20 pm

    OrangRojak, it is we care about the people of Myanmar or otherwise. We can leave our conscience and ethics aside. But as Malaysians we do care the likely impact of what is happening in Myanmar on Malaysia. Those who talk about taking care of their own backyard first are really frogs living under the coconut shell.

  20. #20 by limkamput on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 6:22 pm

    sorry repost:

    OrangRojak, the issue is it is not we care about the people of Myanmar or otherwise. We can leave our conscience and ethics aside. But as Malaysians we do care the likely impact of what is happening in Myanmar on Malaysia. Those who talk about taking care of their own backyard first are really frogs living under the coconut shell.

  21. #21 by OrangRojak on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 9:27 pm

    Daw Limkamput, is the saying you’re looking for:

    “there but for the grace of god goes Malaysia”?

    I had no idea when I started writing this comment where that phrase came from, but the brief wikipedia article I found about John Bradford is not totally irrelevant to our recent discussions. My (in hindsight harshly worded) comment was not intended to impugn anyone, it was more a cry of frustration over the way international diplomacy is at its most ineffectual and most hypocritical when our neighbour’s leaders are destroying their own citizens’ lives.

    My chest aches for Aung San Suu Kyi, but I have very little faith in the ability of our leaders to positively influence her tormentors. Banishing Myanmar from ASEAN would have zero effect, I would have thought. Since ASEAN is a largely toothless institution, I doubt (even if the will existed) that a trade embargo would have any effect at all, except perhaps to negatively effect the profits of decent companies and improve the profits of scummy organisations.

    Quite apart from any issues of sovereignty, Myanmar’s generals seem to act psychotically at best. That makes it doubly hard to come up with a rational scheme for influencing them. Bombing a nation back to the Stone Age is clearly counter-productive. What’s left? Only time. I think the only honest attitude to take is that with time the Burmese people will prevail against abject idiocy and the country will realise its full potential.

    It would be nice to invoke some sort of international law against crap leadership, but there’s a very good reason why such a law will never exist.

  22. #22 by TomThumb on Friday, 15 May 2009 - 11:33 pm

    “Nincompoop, may I ask you what is the difference between the yellow shirt and the red shirt demonstrations in Thailand? ” liemkaput

    liemkamput is right. the difference is between a cheap T-shirt and a branded one.

  23. #23 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 12:32 am

    “what is the difference between the yellow shirt and the red shirt demonstrations in Thailand? ”

    Answer: The same difference between a lim kam put and anyone who even tries engaging in an argument with him (ie a nincompoop).

    So as a nincompoop, I will try to respond at least for this occasion

    When I said “Actually it would be of greater priority to urge Najib to take care of democracy and human rights in Malaysia’s own backyard first (Perak for example)”, it is a way of saying we cannot place too much expectations in our people here to vigorously champion human right principles elsewhere in Myanmar when they are not even practising them in our own country.

    The statement is not intended to say that we take no position on what has happened in Myanmar. Lim Kam Put has just seized a passage and go ballistic without regard to context or whatever that has been said after that passage to address the situation in Myanmar…

    It is a typical response of a man who has issues to nit pick passages of what people comment and try put others down, thinking he is a wit, (and is probably only half right) :)
    forgetting that many a times many would not even care to respond to his provocations. Not because of any merits in his compulsive need to butt kick somebody (recently even moderator was not spared) but out of pure respect for blog owner and integrity of this blog to prevent a downward communication spiral and upward mutual trading of insults spiral, even if we know that to even throw an insult at what he says is an effort lost, and an insult wasted.

  24. #24 by TomThumb on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 12:45 am

    “It is a typical response of a man who has issues ..”

    health issues maybe??

  25. #25 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 12:53 am

    “What the difference between Sivakumar and Genesan? It is not about people’s support. It is about one has the support of the administrative machinery and police and the other has not. Got it?”

    Wow a mighty revelation has just been put by Lim kam Put before us, a veil was torn from in front of my eyes and the lesson was revealed to me right there in front, I have got it, thank you thank you, thank you…

  26. #26 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 12:56 am

    Ultimately yes health issues but hard to know for sure whether more of emotional or mental health.

  27. #27 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 12:59 am

    Or maybe there is no difference between the two.

  28. #28 by limkamput on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 8:20 am

    Jeffrey, ASEAN’s policy – whether non interference or constructive engagement – are totally irrelevant because both are not effective. Having said that, they do not preclude LKS from pressuring Myanmar because the message was not really for Myanmar but for Malaysia and other incumbent governments in the regions who use or are likely to use the same tactic as Myanmar.

    If you have understood the difference between red shirt and yellow shirt and between Sivakumar and Genesan, you would not have written that idiotic stuff. Or may be you just want to show you know a little bit of foreign affairs here.

    Each time when challenged, you would restate what you said and perhaps provide some explanations to what you said. Please just go back and reread what you wrote. To me, in nutshell this is what you said: Malaysia must take care of its own backyard first before showing concern in Myanmar.

    Frankly, I couldn’t be bothered with whether or not you responded to my postings. You have your rights to confused (and perhaps you are already working for BN). I have my rights to say what I pleased. A few brainless side kicks supporting you would not bother me. They are as I said – brainless side kicks.

    There is no need to bring in the Moderator. I will do the same if he/she is half baked again and I don’t have to consult you before doing that.

  29. #29 by limkamput on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 8:28 am

    …..it is a way of saying we cannot place too much expectations in our people here to vigorously champion human right principles elsewhere in Myanmar when they are not even practising them in our own country. Jeffrey

    This is exactly my point. Do you think LKS’s message is for Malaysians to actively championing human rights in Myanmar? I don’t call you a nincompoop for nothing. The message is for Malaysians to be aware of what is happening in Myanmar and how the events there could be repeated here and there is not a damn thing we could do about it.

  30. #30 by TomThumb on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 9:32 am

    aiyaaa…saya ingat ini liemkamput baik punya olang tapi otak senget sikit

  31. #31 by limkamput on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 9:43 am

    Hanya orang-orang yang otaknya sakit atau otak tak ada baru tak boleh faham apa saya cakap. So Tom(Toe), you otak tak ada atau otak sakit?

  32. #32 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 10:24 am

    “The message is for Malaysians to be aware of what is happening in Myanmar and how the events there could be repeated here and there is not a damn thing we could do about it.”

    We’re all very challenged & refreshed by your limkamput (oops, nincompoop assessment) of LKS’s message. :)

  33. #33 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 10:47 am

    According to Nim Kam Put, LKS has a design to create greater awareness amongst Malaysians on the importance of standing up for our human rights in our own backyard Malaysia, and this design is by sn oblique method of cajoling Najib to take the case of Myanmar generals’ latest mistreatment of San Suu Kyi to ASEAN. This means that according to LKS, we Malaysians are less likely to be aware or appreciate human rights abuses in our country unless our focus is (indirectly) directed to protesting via ASEAN against what is happening in another country Myanmar.

    As I earlier said we’re all very challenged & refreshed by your typically limkamput (oops, nincompoop) assessment of LKS’s message and its intent and purport….

    I don’t know whether you are inadvertantly trying to insult LKS’s or Malaysians’ intelligence by benchmarking against your delusional insight.

  34. #34 by limkamput on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 11:00 am

    Jeffrey, Yes you better be. You can hide with your sarcasm but I know you are not as smart as you would like to portray.

  35. #35 by limkamput on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 11:05 am

    I am definitely no equal to LKS and some other leaders. But to ordinary Malaysians and those like you, yes, I would love to hurl insult.

    Let’s face it; you don’t get it before I told you so. So don’t act big here.

  36. #36 by limkamput on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 11:10 am

    If Malaysians are as enlightened as you said, we don’t have to wait more than 50 years to wake up from our slumber. Even that, we are still half asleep. Yes, you are a typical Malaysian, gullible and ignorant. Go on; argue with your fine English on laws, courts, constitution and procedures. We are all impressed.

  37. #37 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 11:11 am

    “If you have understood the difference between red shirt and yellow shirt and between Sivakumar and Genesan, you would not have written that idiotic stuff. Or may be you just want to show you know a little bit of foreign affairs here” – Lim Kam Put

    Your level of understanding of the difference between red shirt and yellow shirt is just about one being backed by power and the other not, as if it was a profound insight that no one else is aware.

    It is not what I meant.

    I meant that difference between red shirt and yellow shirt is that both are backed/financed by two China man (red shorts’ Thaksin Shinawatra, a Hakka, and yellow shirts Sondhi Limthongkul, a Hainanese) ; that these two ethnic Chinese squabbles starting from business spilled over to galvanise the entire Thai society into two factions…

    In the sense there is not much difference between a Hakka and Hainanese personal rivalry fight in that both are of Chinese ancestry (except for dialect difference), I meant to same extent there is not much difference in the sound/pronunciation between Lim Kam Put and Nin Coom Poop except for minor differences in inflections due to the “L” and “N” and the “Put” and “Poop”.

  38. #38 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 11:29 am

    ///If Malaysians are as enlightened as you said, we don’t have to wait more than 50 years to wake up from our slumber./// – Lim Kam Put

    Whilst we may not be so enlightened, it however does not mean that we are so dumb or blind that we can only learn more vividly about our human rights predicament by LKS’s directing our collective attention across the Indian Ocean to Mynanmar as if it were not sufficient for huim, anyone or ourselves to direct our collective attention to human right abuses at our own backdoor. It is not as ifv we have no human rights abuses in our backdoor for reference….

    If the right hand/finger can touch the nose directly Lim Kam Put advocates the subtle strategy for us Malaysians of the need to extend the arm backwards from behind the head to touch the nose from the other side to register a more vivid impression.

    Its OK for you to condescendingly say that many of us are not that enlightened on matters of human rights – this itself a manifestation of delusions of adequacy – but that does not mean that we’re that stupid at the other extreme to require such a roundabout way of LKS to teach us about the need to be vigilant about human rights.

  39. #39 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 11:33 am

    “But to ordinary Malaysians and those like you, yes, I would love to hurl insult.” LIm Kam Put

    And many of us would like to reciprocate but the trouble is we have to weigh the pros and the cons, the benefits and the costs, one prominently figuring always in the mind is whether an insult thrown back will be wasted.

  40. #40 by katdog on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 11:38 am

    It is laughable to expect Malaysia, to lecture Burma on human rights.

    Malaysian officials and police are suspected of colluding with human traffickers on the sale of human beings. Malaysia arrests any dissidents and opposition to its government. Malaysia’s human rights commission is now facing a downgrade of its status to B. Malaysia’s police force, MACC and judiciary are all under the control of the government.

    And one expects Malaysia to have the gall to rebuke Burma on democracy and human rights records? The military junta would just laugh at Najib and tell him to go look at himself in the mirror.

    A robber tells another robber not to steal. What do you think will happen?

  41. #41 by limkamput on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 11:45 am

    In the sense there is not much difference between a Hakka and Hainanese personal rivalry fight in that both are of Chinese ancestry (except for dialect difference), I meant to same extent there is not much difference in the sound/pronunciation between Lim Kam Put and Nin Coom Poop except for minor differences in inflections due to the “L” and “N” and the “Put” and “Poop”. The real nincompoop – Jeffrey

    See you are confused again. The red shirt and the yellow shirt can fight whatever they like. They can be propelled by all the wrong reasons. All these are beside the point. The point is one is backed by the army and the other is not. There is no level playing field, got it nincompoop? Limkamput is coined for people like you, in case you are not discerning enough to notice it until now. Bye bye.

  42. #42 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 11:53 am

    “A robber tells another robber not to steal. What do you think will happen?”

    According to one very refreshing insight postulated here – the victim will appreciate better and more vividly the pain and humiliation of being robbed and will then know how to deal with the first mentioned robber. :)

  43. #43 by limkamput on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 11:58 am

    I am just extending the red and yellow shirt argument. But did i say PR and BN are the same? Your mind is not as sophisticated and clever as i first thought. bye bye again, really need to go.

  44. #44 by limkamput on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 11:58 am

    :) :)

  45. #45 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 12:12 pm

    Abvout red shirst versus yellow shirts in Bangkok, “the point is one is backed by the army and the other is not. There is no level playing field, got it nincompoop?”

    I am indebted to Lim Kam Put’s amazing revelation of the not so obvious, trite & the commonplace occuring in Bangkok that we can all draw lessons from.

    “Frankly, I couldn’t be bothered with whether or not you responded to my postings. You have your rights to confused (and perhaps you are already working for BN). I have my rights to say what I pleased. A few brainless side kicks supporting you would not bother me. They are as I said – brainless side kicks.” – limkamput Today at 08: 20.16 (3 hours ago).

    How many times have I trespassed (unprovoked) by responding to any of your postings (unless as a follow up to you have commented on mjy earlier posting ?) I have always respected peoples’ right to express their own Limkamput opinion.

  46. #46 by frankyapp on Saturday, 16 May 2009 - 8:31 pm

    Well guys,talking about human rights,we are hundreds of years behind. I won’t dare tell others in other country what to do.You guys might think otherwise,that’s your right. In our land,you know,police arrested innocent people for their safety. Isa-ed you without a valid reason. Changed people’s religion without the consent of both parties. Refused to admit own citizen to return home ,Chin Ping is a good example.Banned peace demostation,teargased and water cannoned peaceful demostrators.arrested innocent people while drinking coffee within a so=called “no entry zone ” Yeap dragged guy like Siva out of his own state assembly,like police comes to your house without a warrent and dragged you out of your own house in front of your wife/husband and children. Need I have add more…..the lists will be endless.I think I can talk more about inhuman rights than human rights in Malaysia.

  47. #47 by Joshua Tan Kok Hauw on Monday, 18 May 2009 - 1:25 pm

    I cannot imagine how can this kind of incident take place.

    Condemn the illegal military government of Myanmar.
    Pressurize the Asean government to sever all ties with Myanmar.
    Impose a trade embargo on Myanmar.
    persuade the Chinese government not to veto the resolution on the imposing of trade embargo.

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