ASEAN and NGO tourism

“Where is Surin Pitsuwan, Asean’s leader? As a former foreign minister of Thailand, he often criticized the junta’s abysmal human rights record. Now Asean has a human rights charter. Wouldn’t it be proper for Asean to exercise its human rights principles at this sad moment in Burma’s history by clearly and forcefully condemning Burma in the strongest possible language?”

While NGOs fly here and there, across Asia and Europe, trying to ‘lobby’ ASEAN to take up human rights issues, Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is languishing behind bars.

After their countless ‘touristy’ trips, they have the cheek to ask ASEAN to interfere and seek her release. Isn’t 19 years a bit too long, to still go on engaging ASEAN? Knowing that it can’t ever bear any fruit?

Anyway, ASEAN is an economic grouping and whatever it says about ‘human rights’ is merely its PR scheme. But NGOs prefer to pretend they can still have an influence over ASEAN leaders.

But while NGOs have so called ‘consultations, dialogues and engagement’ in five star hotels and trips round the world, people like Suk Kyi can never know freedom.

Light a candle for those we lost to AIDS

                                                                                                                                                      May 17 is International AIDS Memorial Day.
* Honor the memory of those lost to AIDS;
* Show support for those living with HIV and AIDS;
* Raise community awareness and decrease stigma related to HIV/AIDS; and
* Mobilize community involvement in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Join the candlelight memorial worldwide for those living with HIV and AIDS. Please read Kumaguru’s article which I received in the mail today.

Obama snubs Najib, 44 days later

Kekekeke. Stupid Obama. How insulting. It’s the American snub of the century.

It took him 44 days to say this: Congrats, Najib.

44 days! But coming from BERNAMA, can believe or not?

This National news agency that calls Najib: Naif Ton Rasa!

Kekekeke. Looks like Obama forgot to say “hi” to Najib when the latter became PM.

It looked like Obama just got reminded.

Was it so difficult to say such few words. One sentence by Obama in the statement is:

“Our two countries have an excellent relationship, and I know that you have played an important role in developing those ties”.

BUM BUM Song

Need I say more? HAVE A NICE WEEKEND

PERAK: Najib throws ball(s) in Sultan’s court

Naif TON Rasa was asked to respond to calls made by BN leaders that the solution to the Perak political impasse was by holding a state election (Malaysiakini).

“That is one of the options but under the constitution, it is something that does not have to happen. It depends on the sultan to consider,” said Naif, conveniently.

So, Sultan, what’s the verdict?

Looks like Naif is acting innocent here and trying to show us that it was ALL the Sultan’s fault.

That the Sultan, could have, from the beginning, directed an elections.

Oh my, the twist and the turns, and yet, Perak is still in a deadlock!

Meanwhile,  Naif also wants to speak to Pakatan fellas. Hey, why didn’t they bloody think of this earlier, huh?

“Our thoughts are free”

INVITATION

BOOK LAUNCH OF

Our Thoughts Are Free

Poems and Prose on Imprisonment and Exile

SIRD Publishing and Ethos Books (Singapore) jointly invites you to a Book Launch, “Our Thoughts Are Free: Poems and Prose on Imprisonment and Exile” edited by Tan Jing Quee, Teo Soh Lung & Koh Kay Yew.

[Update on 21 may 2009: you can read some observations from a participant at the reading here].

The launch will be followed by talks and a poetry reading session. This very special event will be attended by, and bring together many ex-political detainees across different decades from Malaysia and Singapore. They will share their life testimonies and thoughts resulting from political suppression from both countries. The audience will include social and political activists, bloggers and activists from NGOs.

Date : 16th May 2009 (Saturday)Time : 3.00pm – 5.30pmVenue : The Annexe Gallery, 2nd Floor, Central Market Annexe, Jalan Hang Kasturi, 50470 Kuala Lumpur.

OUR THOUGHTS ARE FREE is a collection of poems and prose from a group of six former ISA (Internal Security Act) political prisoners and exiles, mainly from Singapore.

They are Said Zahari, Ho Piao, Tan Jing Quee, Teo Soh Lung, Wong Souk Yee and Francis Khoo.

Please spread this banned footages of Sivakumar

(images, courtesy of Malaysiakini)

These images are priceless, since it’s been banned on TV, and I wonder where else. So, please, help pass and spread and distribute these images around.

Why are they so afraid? Because they know they are wrong, indeed. Cowards. And such blatant gangsterism.

The TV station that held back these footages have done a great disservice to the people. But of course, they only sing to the tune of their masters.

What do they think would happen if they had shown these footages? That HINDRAF would revolt?

Malaysians, I am sure, are civilised enough to see this as it is – uncivilised behaviour by UMNO!

Invoking May 13

(image)

40 trips around the sun
Is the earth ready to forgive thy sins?

Must we invoke thy deadly name
over and over and over again?
like a spinning wheel
will it ever stop?
generations come, they leave
yet thy cruelty remains intact

Must we invoke thy bloody name
when all that comes to mind are these:
massacre. blood. tears.
anger. rage. death.
keris. umno. tun razak. nep?

Is it time yet to bury thee
within the dungeons of our minds
Shall we throw away the keys
to the door that opens a thousand wounds

Or should we always keep them open?
its sight to remind us all
there’s a limit to human patience
that amidst a borderless world
are boundaries to tolerance

Thy face is but a blur and yet
40 years and still thy name
taste like bitter portion on our tongues
churn our stomachs till they bleed.

UMNO’s 2nd coup in Perak!

[Read also notes on grounds of judgement on the Perak case].

Stubborn UMNO/Zambry Kadir thinks he is still the chief minister. Of course, because UMNO has now gone for round 2.

Court of Appeal grants him stay, FRUs are deployed outside the State Secretariat, probably to drive out thePakatan Rakyat excos.

Are things getting worse? Is this necessary?

Perak Monarchy is ‘embarassed’. Huh? Is that all can be said after 3 months of shame and embarassment at how we conduct our so-called democracy?

High court decided chief minister Nizar Jamaluddin says the only thing that can resolve the impasse in Perak is a dissolution of the state assembly.

Rightly so.

Najib, Dottie and Buddhism.

 Najib Razak was at the Wesak Day Celebration organized by major Buddhist organizations in Fuo Guang Shan, Dong Zhen Temple on May 9.

During the visit, Najib says that he admires the teachings of Buddhism, because it upholds “moral principles, resolves conflict in a peace lovig way, and that good deeds will bring good karma”. Buddhists, he added, have a big heart to accept the voices of dissidents” (Translated by from page A8 Oriental Daily News of 9 May 2009 by blogger Trinleychodron)

I would like to point out two articles which question this visit. Their questions are interesting.

It makes you wonder, what was Najib thinking when he was surrounded by all those Buddhist in the temple on Wesak day? And why was he invited when they know about Najib’s reputation?