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Press Statement

by Lim Guan Eng

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(Petaling Jaya, Sunday): DAP condemns police brutality against unarmed peaceful Malaysian Indians who have gathered in tens of thousands to submit a petition to the British High Commission. Such barbaric means employed by the police have left an indelible black mark on the police as behaving no different from BN lackeys and bullies who use excessive force to help BN achieve its political agenda to suppress democratic dissent and perpetuate socio-economic injustices.

The police have proven again that they have betrayed the public they have sworn to serve and protect. By beating and assaulting those who pay their salaries, the police have shown they are more interested in maintaining the status quo of BN leaders and have lost public confidence in their ability to maintain law and order for the benefit of society.

To-date the government can not prove that any Malaysians have been threatened or harmed by such gatherings. Instead the government must be condemned for refusing to take action against UMNO Youth leaders who have threatened to kill and burn down the homes of non-Malays.

Such harsh police brutality against Indians have only created anger, suspicion and even hatred against the police which would not help to promote national unity and only deepen the sense of alienation amongst the dispossessed and deprived elements in our society. The Malaysian government must also bear full responsibility for preferring to use tear gas over dialogue and violence over consultation.

Australia Labor Party’s (ALP) victory in the Australian elections over John Howard signals the importance of a sustainable economy, environmental protection, climate change and a peaceful resolution to conflicts

DAP congratulates fellow social democrat, ALP leader Kevin Rudd’s victory in the Australian elections. His victory over John Howard signals the importance of a sustainable economy, environmental protection, climate change and a peaceful resolution to conflicts.

The immediate impact would be the signing of the Kyoto Protocol by Australia on global warming, leaving the U.S. as the only industrialized country not to have joined it. Another is the withdrawal of Australian troops from Iraq and a renunciation of the US-led Iraq invasion reputedly to destroy Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction, which has now been proven to be a lie fabricated by the Bush administration to justify the invasion. Only Britain in the only country left in the world that has joined in the Iraq invasion not to have seen a change of government.

DAP is also hopeful that the Mandarin speaking Rudd, whose language proficiency was praised by Chinese leader Hu Jin-tao, would bring Australia closer to Asia in a less patronizing manner that is mutually beneficial to both sides. Further Rudd should also enforce the ban on Australian companies from trading with corrupt regimes or engage in corruption in other countries.

DAP hopes that the new Australian Prime Minister’s experience as a diplomat can lead the region on principles of justice, democracy and human rights in contrast to the Bush administration’s emphasis on self-interests, confrontation and war as the preferred weapon of diplomacy.