Lawyers whisper when they say the word “human rightsâ€
(This is the English translation of the Danish article in relation to the 2007 Bar Council’s International Human Rights Day celebrations which appeared here.)
The absence of functional jurisdiction allows the law to be used for oppression in a number of Asian countries. Malaysia has a strong Bar Association and recently put focus on the problem in a conference celebrating Human Rights.
A white car with a blue and yellow checkered stripe on the side is parked on the sidewalk. It has been parked there for a while, but the two in the car do not look like they are about to leave it.
It is a man and a woman. The latter is talking, gesticulating, while her companion is listening, both hands resting on the steering wheel. On the side of the car is the word: “POLIS.”
The two officers are parked outside the Malaysian Bar Association’s head quarters in the capital, Kuala Lumpur. This is no coincidence.
The bar association is hosting a conference to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the declaration of Human Rights.
It is a controversial subject and the hosts are not at all surprised by the presence of the car.
– They are always watching us when we talk about human rights. They brought machine guns, says Edmund Bon Tai Soon, the chairman of the bar’s human rights committee. On the contrary, the 34-year old human rights lawyer looks like he is mildly amused over the fact that the police officers probably are going to spend the three days the conference lasts in their car.
– They are here to intimidate us. But it is better to proceed without letting it disturb the conference, he says.
