Posted on 09/11/2005 12:34:37 AM PDT by indcons
BRITISH and European diplomats walked out of a human rights conference in Malaysia yesterday, after the country's former prime minister claimed that the United States and the UK were "terrorist" states and that air force pilots whose bombs killed Iraqi civilians were murderers.
The diplomats, including Bruce Cleghorn, Britain's High Commissioner, left in protest at Mahathir Mohamad's broadside during a speech at the conference in Kuala Lumpur.
Mr Mahathir, who ruled predominantly Muslim Malaysia for 22 years before retiring in 2003, also defended his human rights record in government.
He was often criticised for detaining suspects without trial under a security law and for the imprisonment of the former deputy prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim.
Mr Mahathir decried the deaths of thousands of Iraqi civilians as a result of the US-led military invasion and occupation of the country.
He compared US and British actions in Iraq to rocket attacks by Israel on Palestinians, and referred to those countries as "these terrorist nations".
"The British and American bomber pilots came, unopposed, safe and cosy in their state-of-the-art aircraft, pressing buttons to drop bombs, to kill and maim," Mr Mahathir said of the Iraq invasion.
"And these murderers, for that is what they are, would go back to celebrate 'mission accomplished'. Who are the terrorists? The people below who were bombed or the bombers? Whose rights have been snatched away?"
He also questioned why there was no tally of Iraqi deaths while every US soldier's killing is documented. "These are soldiers who must expect to be killed," Mr Mahathir said.
"But the Iraqis who die because of the US action or the civil war in Iraq that the US has precipitated are innocent civilians who under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein would be alive."
Mr Mahathir, who when in power was a US ally in the fight against terrorism, although he opposed the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, noted that the reason for invading Iraq was that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction.
"As we all know it was a lie," he said. "Worse still, the powers which are supposed to save the Iraqi people have broken international laws on human rights by detaining Iraqis and others and torturing them at Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib and elsewhere," he said, referring to the US prison camps.
Mr Cleghorn and several unidentified European officials attending the conference walked out midway through Mr Mahathir's speech.
Later, Mr Cleghorn said he had attended the conference out of respect for Mr Mahathir as a former prime minister.
"Unfortunately, I found myself listening to abuse and misrepresentation about my country. I therefore left," Mr Cleghorn said.
Hamdan Adnan, a senior official with the state-backed National Human Rights Commission, described the diplomats' action as "very distasteful". He continued: "If they claim to subscribe to the democratic process, why can't they listen?"
The US Embassy had decided earlier not to send representatives to the event.
The US accused Mr Mahathir of human rights violations when he sacked Mr Anwar as his deputy in 1998
and sentenced him to 15 years in prison on what many thought were trumped-up charges. He was freed on appeal last year.
Washington largely stopped criticising Malaysia's use of a security law that allows indefinite detention without trial after it was used to lock up dozens of terrorist suspects, some with alleged links to the 11 September terror attacks.
Head on pike.
I'm curious as to which other nations took part in the walk out. I'm guessing pro-American nations such as Hungary and Poland.
Sadly we in Australia have had decades of experience being on the receiving end of Mahathir Mohammad's rantings. The day he stepped down as the Malaysian PM was a happy day in Australia.
Um... because it was an insane rant?
This is as far as I needed to read.
Malaysia and "human rights" in the same sentence is a certain oxymoron.
Wow! All the talking points of the demoncrats as promoted by the main stream media. The MSM must be so proud!
Sometimes.... Sometimes, I'd like to show these nations that accuse us of terrorism what terrorism is really like. The terror that we have the material capacity to inflict upon them would make anything Osama and Zarqawi could do seem like a little boy pulling pulling a puppy's tail.
Fortunately for them we don't have the restraint, the morality and the honor that THEY lack.
I've had that same thought before, particularly with respect to Israel. I think it would be highly instructive to the world for the Israelis to compile a sample of the calumnies directed at them (Jenin "massacre", "indiscriminate" rocket attacks on Hamas leaders, etc.) and develop a 24 hour campaign wherein they did exactly what their mortal enemies have been accusing them of for decades. Just kick some major ass for one lousey day. Then, when in the future some Arab monster, or some left-wing twit, claims that they are acting without decency, they can just point to the kill rate of the test day and say "Not really, but we can. Would you like us to?"
"human rights conference" + "diplomats" = "I came here to make sure our country's deplorable conditions aren't subject to fines."
Sounds like Mahathir has all the Move.On talking points memorized. He must be a poster on DU.
Just wait till they start up the 9yr old's right to marry movement!
Oh yeah we should take these baby rapers diplomacy seriously. /sarcasm
Kill A Commie For Mommie
Seven Dead Monkeys Page O Tunes
Well I imagine he would have some beefs with things like gay marriage and abortion. But never mind, as Asian papers put forth "We believe different countries have different cultures. We in Asia need not follow the West in adopting the gay agenda because it is morally wrong with respect to our heritage. But I think we should support gay marriage in the West because it is consistent with their cultural decadance."
Why does Mahathir still have news values? Former presidents and leaders retire with grace or disgrace and rarely speak out in public regarding what his successor(s) do(es). Hasn't Mahathir read what his predecessor Tunku Adbul Rahman had done after he was forced from power in 1971?
No standing ovation for this thug this time?
He is on many things certifiable.
He is following the Clinton/Carter model of yap running.
How American-like behaviour. We can ask him back: sir, didn't you say Malaysia as a nation must guard against Americanization? And didn't you express your angst against Clinton's deputy Gore back in 1998?
;-)
There. It's fixed.
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