The citizens' initiative Solidarity for Aceh Coalition and DAP today joined in urging the government to raise concerns over human rights abuses in Aceh, during the Asean Ministerial Meeting in Phnom Penh from Monday.

In presenting a memorandum to the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Putrajaya this afternoon, the organisations said recent events in Aceh have compromised human dignity, with grave implications for the region.

DAP member of Parliament for Seputeh Teresa Kok ( photo ) delivered the memorandum together with Solidarity for Aceh spokesperson Lilliane Fan. Officer-in-charge Sarimah Akhpar accepted it on behalf of the ministry.

"We do not ask for political interference; we ask for humanitarian measures to be taken," the organisations stressed, in reference to Asean's principle of non-interference into the internal affairs of member states.

They also urged government to seriously consider the impact of the conflict on economic growth and regional integrity.

"Fear, famine and bloodshed replace food and water in the daily lives of our neighbours. Many struggle to survive," they said.

"As Asean citizens, we ask the Malaysian government to fulfill its role as the member by taking a leadership role in ensuring that humanitarian issues are addressed in existing conflicts.

Candlelight vigil

Both organisations hope that Asean, as a regional community, will raise the issue of violations, to ensure that the recent bloody history of East Timor will not be repeated.

The five-month truce between the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and Jakarta was shortlived when Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri declared martial law in Aceh last month.

Since then, various groups have expressed concern over the possibility of human rights violation by both sides.

Last night, about 20 members of Solidarity held a candlelight vigil at Dataran Merdeka and nearby areas in the city for over an hour, said its co-ordinator K Shan.

The group sang some Acehnese and other solidarity songs before being asked to leave the area by City Hall officers.

"Then we all marched to Central Market singing the Acehnese song 'Doo-da-dii', stopped to light more candles and left some posters by the Klang bus stand."

He added that the group managed to draw a few members of the public to join them.