Women, Pillars of Justice

(Note : An summarized version has been published on newmandala.org)   

In the mountainous southern Thailand, adjacent to Kaeng Krachan National Park, a group of students gathered at a bamboo house surrounding by sugar cane and livestock. At the centre of the house was Pinnapa “Mueno” Prueksapan, a mother turned activist who campaigned for justice for her disappeared husband since two years ago.

Dressed in ethnic Karen’s traditional costume, Mueno recalled that her husband Porlajee “Billy” Rakchongchaeron, a human rights defenders, was arrested by the national park officials on 17 April 2014 and went missing after that. The national park officials accused Bill of illegally possessed wild bee honeycomb and released him after giving warning.

In fact, before he went missing, Billy had been actively assisting Bangkloybon villagers in preparing an upcoming hearing of a lawsuit, which in relation to burning of 20 ethnic Karen’s houses and rice barns by the national park officials in July 2011. Mysterious disappearance of Billy thwarted the villagers’ effort to reclaim their land rights and to seek reparation.

The Death of Teoh Beng Hock and Human Rights Violations in Malaysia

Introduction

In July 2009, right after 3 months the Barisan Nasional (BN) president Najib Abdul Razak became the new Prime Minister of Malaysia, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) launched a large scale operation involved 33 MACC officers from various states to investigate 7 Selangor state assembly persons (ADUN) for allegedly misappropriation of their constituency allocations. (Andrew Ong, 2009) All of the 7 ADUN were from Pakatan Rakyat (PR), a coalition of political parties that defeated BN and won Selangor state in 2008 general election. PR ADUNs accused the operation was political motivated because the investigations were only targeted the PR ADUN.

On 15 July 2009, MACC officers raided the office of Ean Yong Hian Wah, State Assemblyman for Seri Kembangan and Selangor Executive Councillor, at the 15^th floor of State Secretariat building of Selangor. Ean Yong and lawyer quarreled over MACC’s right to search office, MACC officers took Teoh Beng Hock back for questioning at the headquarter of Selangor state MACC located at Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam at 6pm. (James Foong et al, 2011:1)