A signature campaign was launched today in support of labour rights activist and Tenaganita director Irene Fernandez who was slapped with a 12-month jail sentence for publishing 'false news' last month.

More than 90 local non-government organisations have collaborated to launch the ' Keep Irene Free: Defend the Defenders ' campaign and they hope to get one million people to ink their protest.

The campaign, which is to take place simultaneously locally and abroad over a three-month period, will be carried out through the distribution of postcards and an online petition page.

The signatures will then be forwarded to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The 57-year-old activist, who was dragged to court after exposing the alleged maltreatment of migrant workers in detention camps, is currently on bail pending her appeal.

'Shocked and outraged

'

In a joint statement, the organisations said they were "shocked, outraged and disappointed" with the sentence.

"A jail sentence for a memorandum is unprecedented," they added in the statement read by Suaram executive director Dr Kua Kia Soong at the launching in Petaling Jaya.

The false news charge was brought against Fernandez after she published a memorandum titled 'Abuse, Torture and Dehumanised Treatment of Migrant Workers at Detention Camps' in 1996.

The memorandum was compiled from over 300 interviews with migrant workers after their release from detention camps between 1994 and 1995 as well as findings by then-journalists from The Sun newspaper (including malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan ).

No protection

Meanwhile, Kua said the government should create an enabling environment for NGOs and activists to bring the truth of abuses and rights violations to light, rather than suppress it with restrictive laws.

"The trial and conviction (of Fernandez) demonstrate that there is no protection for human rights defenders to articulate concerns over human rights violations.

"Such a trend not only curtails constructive criticism but has serious implications for all organisations involved in the promotion and protection of rights of people and research," he added.

He said although the new premier had urged the public to be truthful to him, such calls were meaningless if activists continued to be prosecuted and criminalised.

For starters, he said Fernandez should not be imprisoned and allowed to travel abroad.

The activist was recently denied permission to travel by the Kuala Lumpur Magistrates' Court on grounds that she might further tarnish the country's image if she was allowed to attend meetings abroad.

Kua said the government should keep its pledges for good governance and transparency by investigating the allegations of abuse and torture in detention camps as well as removing obstacles such as the Printing Presses and Publications Act which curtail the spread of information.

The groups also urged the government to invite the United Nations Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders to Malaysia as a sign of its commitment to protect human rights defenders.

'Mute syndrome'

Jamaah Islah Malaysia vice-president Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, founder of the Organisation for Women Workers Irene Xavier and Centre for Independent Journalism director Sonia Randhawa also spoke at the event.

Syed said the people should fight at all costs to ward off the "mute syndrome" as it would leave them inured to the wrongs that take place in the country.

While Xavier said the prosecution of Fernandez was "shameless" because the government chose to target someone who represented some of the most vulnerable people in society.

"We all know that this country is afraid of the truth. Truth is not a priority so human rights defenders have to defend themselves. If nothing is done about this, this country will stoop to even lower levels," she added.

Randhawa said the use of PPPA provisions to prosecute Fernandez showed the broad powers of the government to curtail freedom of expression.

"At the very least, the government should have investigated the allegations made by the migrant workers (via Fernandez)," she said.

A guest migrant worker who was originally scheduled to speak at the forum could not be present as he was arrested recently by the police for not carrying travel documents. The worker is said to be involved in a court action to regain the documents from his employer.

In a recorded statement, another migrant worker said the government should look into the flaws in the recruitment and employment systems which result in workers becoming undocumented.

"The (Malaysian) government does not take action against employers who cheat, abuse and dismiss us unfairly. Instead, we become undocumented, get arrested and treated as criminals.

"Where should we go for justice? Where is justice?" said the worker who was not identified.