Malaysia's economic growth in the last 20 years has only strengthened the iron fist of the state. Under the rule of Prime Minister Mahathir since 1981, authoritarian measures have included detention without trial, restrictions on the mass media, the assault on the judiciary in 1988, and the centralisation of power in the executive.

Thus the ruling elite have continued to amass wealth at the expense of the people, the environment, basic needs, social justice and human rights.

The Internal Security Act (ISA) has been used by the Malaysian ruling coalition to arrest and detain persons indefinitely without trial ever since its legislation in 1960. Using the vaguely framed excuse of 'preserving national security', opposition politicians, workers' and students' leaders, dissidents of all shades have been summarily incarcerated through the decades of Malaysia's post-Independence history.

azlan When Mahathir launched Operation Lalang on Oct 27, 1987 by arresting and detaining more than 100 innocent Malaysians of diverse backgrounds under the ISA, it provoked an outrage among Malaysians against this monstrous law hitherto unseen.

To most Malaysians, this operation had obviously been orchestrated by Mahathir who was facing an unprecedented challenge by Tengku Razaleigh in the ruling party. He wanted to create an atmosphere of terror to execute his assault on the judiciary just before the challenge by Tengku Razaleigh's team in the courts.

Operation Lalang produced an unprecedented coalition of democratic forces that emerged to fight for the release of the detainees. It also ignited a new effort among families of the detainees and their support group to provide support for the detainees as well as to campaign for their release. The comradeship among the families and their supporters among the NGOs were crucial in sustaining the anti-ISA campaign.

The legacy of this support group and its working method provided the motivating force for Suaram - Suara Rakyat Malaysia or Voice of the Malaysian Peoples.

Upon the release of the last Operation Lalang detainees in 1989, several of these detainees and members of the Families Support Group got together to form this human rights organisation known as Suaram. Aware of the obstacles in registering a human rights society under the Registrar of Societies, we registered as a business under the Registrar of Business.

mahathir and internal security act isa Suaram's immediate objective was to support ISA detainees and their families and to work toward the abolition of the ISA and all detentions without trial. Before long, it became clear that Suaram had to defend all aspects of civil and political rights especially the abuse of police powers and law enforcement agencies; freedom of speech and expression; freedom of information; freedom of assembly and association; freedom of religion; the rights of refugees, asylum seekers, migrants and trafficked persons.

Through 20 years of hard work, Suaram has established itself as the human rights centre of Malaysia. From Operation Lalang through the Reformasi period to the present day, many victims of state oppression have turned to Suaram for assistance in highlighting their plight.

In the first 10 years of its existence (i.e. 1989 to 1998), Suaram operated with no more than three full-time co-ordinators working on documentation & monitoring; campaigns and an international desk. In 1999, it was decided that we needed an executive director and an accounts clerk as well and this was achieved in 2002. We thus put in place a more systematic mode of operations in the organisation.

The Malaysian human rights centre

Suaram actively intervenes to support victims and their families when their basic rights have been violated in such cases of arbitrary arrest and detention, forced evictions and abuse of police powers.

While victims of state oppression and police abuse include the broad masses in Malaysia, marginalised communities such as the urban poor, estate workers and indigenous people tend to bear the brunt of human rights violations.

isa bukit aman candlelight vigil 130908 police 2 Suaram releases 'urgent appeals' during such exigencies; coordinates 'urgent arrest teams' to monitor and assist those who have been arrested during peaceful assemblies; arrange legal assistance, media publicity and referral services.

Monitoring and documenting these violations of human rights by the Malaysian state made it imperative that the Malaysian judiciary and the legislature be also monitored to ensure the administration of justice and human rights.

When the National Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) was established in 2000, Suaram made it its business to monitor this national commission's performance in upholding human rights. And through the five general elections of Suaram's existence, the conditions for free and fair elections have been a major concern of ours.

We have never failed to point out shortcomings and foul play during elections.

Annual Malaysian human rights report

Suaram records all abuses of human rights through networking with other NGOs. We specialise in documenting violations of civil and political rights.

These documents are published in periodic updates which have included our newsletter HAK (Rights) from 1996 to 2001; the Malaysian Human Rights Report 1998 and the Malaysian Civil and Political Rights Status Report 1999.

We also make this information available in our webpage on the Internet. This monitoring and documentation found in Suaram's publications is an important contribution to human rights education and awareness in Malaysia.

NONE Today, Suaram is still the only human rights organisation in Malaysia that publishes a comprehensive human rights report every year without fail. The annual Suaram Malaysian Human Rights Report is both detailed and non-partisan and keenly awaited every year by local as well as foreign human rights watchers.

This is remarkable considering we are a non-governmental organization employing just a handful of young activists and operating on a shoestring budget!

When we compare ourselves to the National Human Rights Commission which has more than a score of well-paid commissioners with perks and who are served by scores of career executives, this fact is even more remarkable.

Every year since 1999, in commemorating International Human Rights Day, the Suaram Human Rights Award is given to the community or group that has exhibited outstanding courage and solidarity in defending or promoting human rights and also empowered their community in the process.

This trophy was specially designed by Malaysia's renowned artist Wong Hoy Cheong, another founder member of Suaram.

A collective of committed activists

We believe that to make democracy work we have to actively step up the demands from outside Putrajaya, Parliament and the Powers-that-be; to empower citizens through the process of participation, realising our rights through direct action and solidarity with other progressive organisations.

True democracy involves more than just releasing press statements and electioneering. It is about rebuilding society by developing basic values of autonomy, solidarity and responsibility for life and for future generations.

sarawak energy board slide show hydropower project in sarawak 180608 bakun dam Our commitment to sustainable development must go beyond pious hopes that greedy developers and the State will initiate mitigative measures to unsustainable projects as can be seen in the Bakun and the Sungai Selangor dams.

The practice of real democracy must involve full citizens' participation, including mobilising opposition to all forms of environmental destruction.

From the start, the founders of Suaram have had a vision of an egalitarian organisation run as a collective. Our paid staff are recruited based on their commitment to the cause and are also members of the Secretariat with equal say in policy and decisions except when it involves conflict of interest, such as staff salaries. This has obviously been conducive in creating a team with a sense of mission.

The Secretariat, made up of between eight to 10 members, is elected at the annual general consultation. It oversees policy making and planning of the organisation which is carried out by a team of campaign coordinators, project officers and volunteers.

suaram penang survey 250309 01 We also have two regional offices in the north (Penang) and south (Johor Baru) of the country, headed by a local coordinator in each. Each has its own local secretariat and volunteers.

Volunteers are essential to Suaram's work. They assist the staff in the various aspects of human rights work including running campaigns, documentation and monitoring, fundraising, research, publications, legal and organising work.

Friends of Suaram (FOS) are an important support institution for the organisation and members are inducted after their performance as FOS. Suaram is responsible to its members during the annual consultation when its accounts and past year's activities are reported.

At the start of each year, the Suaram secretariat holds its annual evaluation and planning to evaluate its past year's work and plan for the future. This enables the organisation to develop a longer term vision and to formulate strategies for its work as the leading human rights organisation in Malaysia.

Suaram has been funded by donations and grants from public and private funds, both local and international. We organise local fund-raising events and also raise funds through sales of books and campaign merchandise. We are pleased to declare that through the years, donors have never interfered in the affairs of Suaram in order to compromise our independence.

For Equality, Justice and Democracy

Suaram's vision statement is: "To uphold human rights for a society that is equal, just and democratic." Our mission is: "To build a human rights movement through empowerment, advocacy and solidarity."

We want a government that guarantees human rights, protects nature and does not sacrifice the right of all peoples to a decent life. In all these areas, Suaram has attempted to defend and pursue human rights not only for Malaysians but also East Timorese, Achehnese, Burmese, Kurdish, Palestinians and other oppressed peoples of this earth.

Despite Malaysia's rapid economic growth since Independence, the continued existence of the ISA and other violations of our basic liberties show that the Malaysian government does not respect these basic human rights of Malaysians.

NONE Suaram stands by the principles laid down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948. We believe in the universality, interdependence and indivisibility of all rights: Civil, political, economic, social and cultural. The Malaysian government has also reaffirmed this stand in various international fora, including the 1993 United Nations World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna.

With its limited resources, Suaram focuses on civil and political rights in Malaysia. We work on the issues of freedom of expression, assembly and association; detention without trial, torture, abuse of police powers and deaths in custody; public accountability and an independent judiciary.

Nevertheless, we work with other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on economic, social and cultural rights in order to create a nation-wide movement for human rights, democracy and justice in Malaysia. Thus we have made it a point to forge joint actions and build coalitions with other NGOs around campaigns which have necessitated such cooperation.

Coalition for peace, democracy and human rights

To date, Suaram has facilitated some important consultations including, the Malaysian Charter on Human Rights in 1994; the Malaysian Human Rights Report in 1995; the Peoples Tribunal against Police Brutality and the Second Asia-Pacific Conference on East Timor in 1996; the National Human Rights Commission as well as the Peoples' Democratic Front (Gagasan Demokrasi Rakyat) in 1999.

Other initiatives include the May 1 coalition and many other ad hoc campaigns to bring together NGOs on fundamental human rights issues.

Suaram was instrumental in the formation of Gagasan Demokrasi Rakyat (Peoples' Democratic Front). This was an initiative to strengthen the links between NGOs and the political parties in order to bring about an alternative front for democracy and human rights in the country.

NGOs were seen as important links to forge the elusive unity between the opposition parties in Malaysia, especially between the DAP and PAS. Between May and August 1998, meetings were held between NGOs and opposition parties to reach a minimum programme for cooperation, including campaigning around some common issues, joint functions and an alternative newspaper.

reformasi 1998 270808 02 Sept 9, 1998, an emergency meeting was called by Gagasan following the sacking of Anwar Ibrahim as deputy prime minister. The establishment of Gagasan was formalised and Suaram was elected the secretariat of the front with Tian Chua as the chairperson.

After the arrest of Anwar on Sept 20, 1998, the Reformasi movement took off. Gagasan launched the White Ribbon campaign on Oct 13 to launch the peoples' struggle for justice.

Thus, through the national crisis that had been precipitated by the financial crisis and the sacking of Anwar Ibrahim as the deputy prime minister, Suaram managed to play a crucial role in bringing together the Alternative Front to the Barisan Nasional and giving the Malaysian people a choice of democracy and human rights.

In 2002, Article 19 and Forum Asia approached Suaram to be the local partner of a regional campaign on freedom of expression. The campaign focused on research, baseline studies on freedom of expression and freedom of information in Malaysia.

article 11 ifc fiasco A national consultation was held in August 2002 with many journalists taking part and a campaign for freedom of expression with Suaram as the secretariat got under way.

This concept of coalition building that has been one of the core working methodologies of Suaram since its inception has been adopted by many civil society groups on various issues, including: Article 11 coalition, Coalition against water privatisation, the protest against the price hike, the Free Trade Agreement, local council non-accountability, Anti-War coalition, Freedom of Information, the Bersih Committee on Electoral Reform, etc.

The recent massive demonstration against the ISA coordinated by the Anti-ISA Movement on Aug 1, 2009 is a further testament to the success of years of campaigning by Suaram against this obnoxious law.

The struggle continues...

In the last 20 years, human rights awareness has become more widespread among Malaysians. Operation Lalang has ensured that opposition political parties, trade unionists, educationists, religious groups, social organisations and others are now more committed in their opposition to the ISA - that Indefensible Suppression Apparatus - and other undemocratic laws.

Human rights work, unlike party politics, is rather unglamorous work. It involves a commitment that has sustained Suaram these 20 years with its activists, volunteers and supporters. Many of Suaram's activists have been arrested at some point or another for standing up for our basic human rights and some have also been detained without trial.

NONE Through the years, we have made it a policy to train young activists to become human rights defenders. While we have always advocated for a two-front political system in the country in order to balance the otherwise authoritarian Barisan Nasional government, Suaram is strictly a non-partisan organisation.

We do not hesitate in condemning all violations of human rights and justice by the federal and state governments, whichever party is the transgressor.

As a testimony to this commitment, we are now consulted by both local and international news agencies regarding current affairs, human rights and environmental issues in Malaysia. In its 20 years of existence, we believe Suaram has made a difference to Malaysian society.

With your continued support, we will endeavour to reclaim our rights, to strengthen all these areas of human rights work, to broaden human rights education among Malaysians and to meet the challenges of rapidly changing political and economic developments.

The above is part of the introduction to a forthcoming publication to be launched at Suaram's 20th anniversary fundraising dinner on Dec 6 at the Banquet Hall, MPPJ, Jalan Yong Shook Lin, Petaling Jaya.

Be there! For tickets, donations and enquiries: Suaram, 433A, Jalan 5/46, Gasing Indah 46000, Petaling Jaya.

Contact

Website: http://www.Suaram.net/

Tel: 03-77843525; 77835724 Fax: 03-77843526

Email: Suaram20years@gmail.com