FreeAnwar Campaign (FAC) has expressed support for the call to boycott a Malaysian students conference in United Kingdom by a coalition of European NGOs this week.

FAC director Raja Petra Kamaruddin said that he also backed the coalition of European human rights and environmental non-governmental organisations in urging the conference organiser, Cambridge University Malaysia Society (Cumas), to withdraw their invitation to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to deliver the keynote address this Saturday.

"I am urging all those who love truth, justice and freedom not to go to this Cumas conference to listen to Mahathir's lies," said Raja Petra.

"If past practice is any guide, what we can be sure to hear is Mahathir using the conference to spread lies," he said, adding that Mahathir will use the conference to instil fear in the students' minds about racial tension and ethnic violence in Malaysia.

The European coalition is reported to be against giving any platform for Mahathir to speak due to his poor record on human rights and environmental issues in Malaysia over the past 20 years.

Endorsed by Forest Monitor, Bruno Manser Foundation, Forest's People's Programme, World Rainforest Movement, Pro Reaganwald and the Netherlands Centre for Indigenous Peoples, Netherlands, the coalition stated that there is no "Malaysia in the New Millenium", if unjust and undemocratic laws continue to curtail people's freedom and oppress the indigenous communities who speak their minds.

They claimed that Mahathir continues to be instrumental in the crackdown of peaceful demonstrators, opposition politicians and civil society advocates under the Internal Security Act (ISA), Sedition Act and Printing and Presses Act.

They criticised the recent high-profile assault of jailed deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim while under police detention by former Inspector General of Police (IGP).

The incident occurred directly under Mahathir's responsibilities as the then Home Affairs Minister and the double standard of a light charge against the ex-IGP brought to shame the political manipulation of Mahathir, they said.

Dialogue opportunity

The conference at Cambridge University was supposed to provide Malaysian students the chance to meet and dialogue with Mahathir and his economic advisers, with the aim of enhancing the students' understanding of the challenges facing Malaysia, according to Cumas.

Raja Petra said that Mahathir will also "spread lies about Anwar, defend the unjust decisions of the judiciary, support human rights abuses by the police, defend corruption and justify the bailout of insolvent businesses linked to his children and his crony friends".

"Malaysians in the UK can send a loud message to Mahathir to stop his lies. We've had enough dictatorial rule, racial fear and ethnic hatred, bailouts and injustice," he added.

Mahathir will be leaving for London tonight to attend the conference.

Previous stories

[#1]Nobel laureate 'not aware' of conference boycott[/#], Aug 28

[#2]Cambridge organisers deny FAC report[/#], Aug 25

[#3]Mahathir faces international conference boycott[/#], Aug 24