masterwordsmith-unplugged

One of history's darkest spasms of inhumanity began 20 years ago this week. Remembering unfathomable tragedy and celebrating unprecedented health progress in Rwanda.

One of the most horrific tales of mass violence ever began just 20 years ago this week. During the 100 days after Easter 1994, ethnic Hutu extremists killed 1 million fellow Rwandans. The surviving 80 percent of the population reeled from health crises.

Health workers fled or were killed. Many who remained had been complicit in the genocide, seeding distrust in medical establishment. An estimated 250,000 women were raped. HIV became a weapon of war. Refugee camps fell to one of the century’s largest cholera outbreaks. Rwanda was left with the world’s highest child mortality and lowest life expectancy at birth. Fewer than one in four children were vaccinated against measles and polio.

“Some development experts even advised withholding primary care services from children to stave off population growth."

“Whether survivor, perpetrator, or member of the diaspora, no Rwandan emerged unaffected,” writes Rwandan minister of health Agnes Binagwaho in The Lancet today, in a study co-authored with Dr. Paul Farmer and a team of international public health experts. “Much of the rest of the world stood idly by.”

Few imagined that Rwanda, a country the size of Maryland, would so soon—if ever—serve as an international model for health equity.

Just two decades later, that life expectancy has doubled. Vaccination rates for many diseases are now higher than those registered in the United States—more than 97 percent of Rwandan infants are immunized against ten different diseases. Child mortality has fallen by more than two thirds since 2000. New HIV infection rates fell by 60 percent between 2000 and 2012, and AIDS-related mortality fell by 82 percent. HIV treatment is free.

CLICK HERE for more.

The 2013 Human Development Report – "The Rise of the South: Human Progress in a Diverse World" – examines the profound shift in global dynamics driven by the fast-rising new powers of the developing world and its long-term implications for human development.

China has already overtaken Japan as the worlds second biggest economy while lifting hundreds of millions of its people out of poverty. India is reshaping its future with new entrepreneurial creativity and social policy innovation. Brazil is lifting its living standards through expanding international relationships and antipoverty programs that are emulated worldwide.

But the "Rise of the South" analyzed in the Report is a much larger phenomenon: Turkey, Mexico, Thailand, South Africa, Indonesia and many other developing nations are also becoming leading actors on the world stage.

CLICK HERE for a free download of the 2013 Human Development Report.

Wonderful news!!! Following public outrage and sustained protests over their arbitrary detention, the EO 6 or PSM 6 they were released at 5.30pm at the Jinjang police station today. They were detained since July 2 for undefined charges during the Bersih 2.0 crackdown.

At that time, the six PSM members - Choo Chon Kai, Sarat Babu, M Sarasvathy, M Sukumaran, A Letchumanan and Sungai Siput parliamentarian Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj - were detained on suspicion of planning to wage war against the King.

Along the way, the charge was changed several times and one of the charges included allegations that they could be ringleaders of the Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9.

Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar confirmed the release of the six from detention under the Emergency Ordinance in a two-paragraph media statement. He clarified that the Attorney-General will decide on the next course of action for the six of them.

According to various online news portals, PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan and their lawyer Edmund Bon also confirmed the six were released at 5.30pm.

This news is certainly most heartwarming. At the candlelight vigil last night which was held at Speakers' Square, Esplanade, Dr Prema Devaraj aired her concerns for her brother who had started his hunger strike. When Chon Kai's girlfriend gave a note of thanks to all supporters, she broke down and asked for more vigils to show solidarity and to pressure the government to release them.

I am sure concerned Malaysians are deeply relieved. However, the fact remains that the EO and the ISA must be abolished lest innocent Malaysians can be victimised through the indiscriminate use of this law. Let's continue to campaign for those repressive and Draconian laws to be abolished.

At the "BERSIH 2.0 Crack-Down: "EO Another ISA" Forum" last night, it must have been difficult for Dr Prema Devaraj, younger sister of Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj, to recount the memories of the ordeal following the detention of EO6. Not many could have pulled it through but Prema did - beautifully! Her face, though weary, did not belie the grief within her. The sea of faces looking right at her must have given her the inner strength she needed to speak so movingly.

On that fateful night, she recounted how there were only ten supporters waiting outside the Kepala Batas Police Station and she wished that there could have been more that evening to cry for their release - the volume of support might have rattled the police.

Dr Prema went on to present the biodata of the EO6 - all of whom had one thing in common - their earnest and sincere effort to bring about social equality, gender equality and the eradication of poverty via various programmes.

Who are the EO6?

1. Sarat Babu
Born on 12.11.86, Sarat Babu is a local activist in Kampung Chepor and has been active in the cause since 2004. He is one of the founder members of Alaigal, working in the Bercham. Babu was a coordinator in Perak for JERIT and was a tutor for 6 years. He is a part-time law student in Universiti Malaya. Recently, Babu was selected as Youth Chairman of Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM)

2. Chon Kai
A Penangite, Chon Kai has been an activist since his university days at USM. He is a member of the Central Committee of Parti Sosialis Malaysia and the former coordinator in SUARAM Pulau Pinang. Chon Kai is a full-time activist in PSM and has been the Coordinator of PSM’s international relations, Editor of Akhbar Berita Sosialis (Socialist News Daily) PSM in Mandarin which is published once every two months not forgetting that he composed many songs about the leftist struggle.

3. Letchuman
Letchumanan, treasurer of the PSM Sungei Siput branch, is in his 40's. Married to Selvi, they both have two children - Devan and Poorni. Both are well brought up and top scorers in their school. The son of a rubber tapper, Letchu, has been proactively organized evening classes for neighbouring children in the Heawood plantation. He has been active in empowering workers to stand up for their rights. You can read about him HERE.

4. M Sugumaran
M Sugumaran is the liaison member of PSM Perak, coordinator for May Day program and often the negotiator with police when a demonstration takes place in Perak. He is married to Pushpa and they both have three children. He is also the Sungei Siput branch chairman.

According to Arutchelvan, Secretary-General of PSM, "when Sugu was arrested on 2 July, he spoke to me through the phone. He said, "I am Ok, please make sure someone will take my mother to the hospital".

5. Sarasvathy Muthu
Sarasvathy Muthu has been involved in activism since she was 17. She started working for Young Christian Workers (YCW). Two years later, she organized textile and food industry workers in Jelapang and Tasek factory level and also the state level to form a union body involved in picketing and strike. From then, she has travelled to various parts of SEA to represent Malaysia at conferences. Saras is actively involved in women’s groups networks such as AWAM and WDC in discussing the challenges of the female working community. As a full time activist in Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), Saras contended in the 2008 elections for DUN Jelapang. Even though she lost,she has been servicing the constituency with a big heart.

6. Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj
You can read more about him in my post on The Gentle MP of Sungei Siput.

According to the latest news HERE, Dr. Jeyakumar is on a hunger strike. There will be a candlelight vigil tonight at 8p.m. Speakers' Square, Esplanade in Penang. Please come and show your support. 

Dr Prema expressed her appreciation to the three lawyers (all ladies) who were there to help EO6 when they were detained on July 2nd, namely Lim Kah Cheng, Karen Lai and Agatha Foo. They were released and shortly thereafter re-arrested. Handcuffed but with heads held high, they were taken in a convoy of cars to Bukit Aman KL.

She expressed her disappointment and outrage at the totally unnecessary and excessive use of force by the police. According to Dr Prema, the six of them are such gentle and dedicated activists that they would have taken the bus at their own expense to go to Bukit Aman if they had been summoned. There was no need to use taxpayers' money to transport them in so many cars. She explained that her brother was driven to KL in one car with FOUR other policemen and the others in different cars.

Dr Prema lamented that the last time she saw her brother was on 15th of July. The EO6 are being detained at different police stations namely Dang Wangi, Selayang, Travers, Jinjang, Petaling and Bukit Aman.

She explained that PSM is a registered political party working within a democratic framework. Like any other legitimate organization, PSM holds meetings, organizes programmes and networks with socialist organizations all over the world. It is no crime to have socialist ideas or to be different from BN and PR.

"Surely in a democracy, differences of opinions are allowed," she said, "and the government has to recognize that PSM has been dedicating itself to the service of the poor and marginalized groups."

The level of insecurity being displayed is by a government that is surely losing power.

She gave her a vote of thanks to all who have been loyally giving their support and urged more to speak up for the release of EO6.

When a government shudders at a yellow t-shirt and uses the tools of the state and arbitrary laws, it is exceedingly clear that at the next elections, they have to be voted OUT.

"Remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fall -- think of it, ALWAYS." Mahatma Gandhi

*This post is Part 2 of 'Tis Only Just The Beginning.  Part 3 will be about the lawyers' experiences  and the Q and A session of the forum.

As I drove to Caring Society Complex, a light drizzle began - almost as if the heavens were silently weeping for the six civilians, Choo Chon Kai, Sarat Babu, Sarasvathy Muthu, Sukumaran A/L Munisamy, A. Letchumanan, and Dr. Jeyakumar Devaraj (MP for Sungei Siput) who were arrested under the Emergency Ordinance on July 2nd. It has been 27 tormentous days and nights not just for them, but also for their loved ones and loyal supporters.

By the time I arrived, the darkness of the night was reminiscent of the solitary confinement cells. Did they know night from day? Or how long they had been there? Deep within, I knew that this candlelight vigil and forum "BERSIH 2.0 Crack-Down: "EO Another ISA" Forum"* would be different from the rest because of the impact of the BERSIH 2.0 rally.

Shortly after 8p.m. the crowd from the function room gathered under the porch, lit their candles and made their way silently and solemnly to the gate. Wordlessly and without any leader, we gathered there. With hands raised high, the flickering flames of our candles refused to be snuffed out by the gentle breeze or the falling raindrops aptly symbolizing the cry in our hearts for their release and for electoral reform in our nation.

Led by Seok Hwa of Suaram, cries of "Hidup Rakyat" and "Bebaskan EO6" filled the night as the crowd grew in size. A few members from the crowd stepped forward to speak up for those in detention and also about the issue at hand - the repressive legislation enforced even though there is absolutely no emergency situation.

After the vigil came to an end, the crowd walked back to the function room animatedly, spirits revived and hearts entwined. Filled to the brim, some had to stand at the back and others in the corridors in a feverish fervour for truth and details about the background and facts of the six civilians and events related to Bersih 2.0.

Nora Murad, Executive Director of Amnesty International Malaysia (AIM), introduced the first speaker of the evening, Dato' Dr Toh Kin Woon, a civil society activist and Bersih 2.0 Steering Committee Member. In his trademark crisp and articulate voice with a faint British accent, Dato' Dr. Toh stated firmly that whilst the events leading to the arrest of the EO6 and Bersih 2.0 rally brought out the worst of the elite in the government and institutions, it also showed up the best of the rakyat .

He emphasized that all BERSIH 2.0 wants is fair elections. People are frustrated that despite a barrage of calls for electoral reforms, these have largely been unheeded. The time has come for the rakyat to galvanize support for a clean and just electoral system. Until and unless we have this outcome, we will not have a full-functioning democracy and there can be no chance of a full-blown two-party coalition in this country.

The moment the announcement of the Bersih Rally was made, the worst of the state was displayed. Steering Committee 2.0 Chairman Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan was demonized, scolded and condemned by the mass media friendly to the ruling elite - mobilized for purposes of attempting to victimize the people involved, in particular - the PSM.

Dato' Dr. Toh reminded the audience that no weapons were found during the arrest and yet EO6 were accused of wagging war against the King and for propagating communism even on though July 31, 1960, the Malayan Government had declared the end of the State of Emergency. And this is also in spite of the fact that our country has close ties with China.

Consequently, what we have seen would be the worst features of the state as seen in how chemical-laced water was fired at the crowd. Undeniably, the State and the public institutions concerned have certainly degenerated to a very worrisome state till people have lost confidence in the police and the judiciary whose professionalism and political partisanship are continuously being questioned.

Had the authorities given their approval from the onset, the walk would have been a non-event. Had our PM reacted by saying that he also wants clean and fair elections and sat down and talked with the BERSIH 2.0 Steering Committee, things would have turned out differently. Had the Coalition received the permit to hold the rally at Stadium Merdeka, the international media would not have had a field day reporting on it negatively. The reaction from the authorities has been nothing short of combative arrogance in the use of force and power to crush dissent. Had they not been so threatening, the crowd might not have been so big to want reason and rationality from the leaders to talk sense to the people.

He went on to explain that the PSM was targeted simply because they have been taking a very consistent stand against the government on many issues including GST, elimination of poverty, social equality etc. It was a simple decision to nip the problem in the bud lest cronies be threatened so they had to be belligerent in their stand and treatment of the group.

July 9th brought out the best in Malaysians and the best in Malaysia because thousands overcame the fear factor despite fears being generated and yet, they came and they dared to defy, to be brave enough to unite, to stand up to fight an oppressive government.

From this experience, it is clear that civil society has an important role in engendering change and progress in our country.  BERSIH 2.0 has shown us how a multi-front coalition of 60+ legally registered NGOs can draw the attention of authorities to be a force to be reckoned. For sure, civil society can help create more democratic space for public dissent.

Dato' Dr. Toh emphasized that many may not realize that BERSIH 2.0 was actually led by two women with outstanding leadership qualities - Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan - a charismatic, articulate and courageous leader and Maria Chin Abdullah - a dedicated and passionate woman who also lobbies for gender equality. Both of them are assisted by an almost exclusively all-woman team whose members are hardworking, strong and trustworthy even in the face of the raid. They remained true to the cause even when hauled to the police station. Such is the depth and quality of leadership and stewardship of civil society in our political landscape today.

Dato' Dr. Toh reminded us not to delude ourselves with any victory for the battle has just begun. As long as the EO6 are not released, the battle for their release MUST continue.

To be continued....The next part will focus on Dr Prema Devaraj's presentation on the EO6 members, what happened in the events following the arrest and also startling revelations by the lady lawyers handling the case. Do swing by again tomorrow. It is 2.13 am and time to say good night.

*The forum was organized by SUARAM Penang, Gerakan Mansuh ISA (GMI Penang), Amnesty International, PEWAJU, ALIRAN, DEMA, Sembang-Sembang Forum, People's Green Coalition, and Coalition for Good Governance Penang.

Whilst it is good to see so many write-ups by those who attended the Bersih 2.0 rally, one must be careful about an overkill of the topic lest it works against the movement. Of the many write-ups that I have read, the following one moved me the most because of its pure, patriotic, simple and touching write-up. I can see the writing is from the heart, not to impress but to express what she went through and the beautiful meaning of "Tanah Tumpahnya Darahku".

Tanah Tumpahnya Darahku by Esther Goh
JULY 12 — “Are you ready to die for the country?” I asked as I walked together with Simeon heading from Mirama Hotel on Jalan Maharajalela to Petaling Street.

My honest answer to my own question was, “No. I don’t believe I should die now. When I’m only 24. There is so much more that I want and believe I can do for my country.”

“But what if it takes bloodshed for people to wake up? What if we were the ones to go — so that people will finally realise the need for change?” was Simeon’s reply.

***

I was driving home on Thursday night when this motorcyclist, thinking I was endangering his life, rode very fast... honking the whole way. And as he approached my car, he bent over and shouted at the top of his lungs at me.

Wow, I thought. If this was how it’s like when there’s NO rally, I cannot imagine what would happen on July 9th.

I thought of chickening out.

***

I flip-flopped the entire July 8th. To go, or not to go? Every time somebody asked me if I was going, I flashed them a nervous smile.

What if I die? What if I don’t die... but end up with a disability? Gaahhh.

But the biggest why was — WHY DO I FIND MYSELF FEARING THE GOVERNMENT? THE VERY PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO MAKE SURE I’M SAFE?

***

I knocked on the door of 608. And after a request for the “Secret Password”, the door was opened to 13 other people. Young people. People I call friends.

I sat amongst them, and we talked late into the night. Of our game plan. How we would run. What we would need to counter the possible attacks we would face.

We slept. And woke to the sound of FRU trucks moving into the city.

You would have thought it was World War III.

***

We packed salt. Prepared bi-carb soda solution. Soaked our towels in vinegar. Prayed. And left in twos and threes.

We walked towards Petaling Street. People we met along the way were silent.. It was the calm before the storm. Grim. None of us knowing what would happen.

As we walked further into the heart of the city, we heard chants.

“Hidup, hidup! Hidup Bersih! Hidup, hidup! Hidup Rakyat!”

And something in me started. It was a growing excitement.

We followed the crowd. Chanting as we walked along.

Deep inside me, I was still afraid. I looked around me. Most people do not have the same colour skin as me. If a riot was to break out, I would have been Peking duck in two seconds.

We looked on. And strategized to join the crowd and be in the middle. Lest anything should happen, at least we were not in the vulnerable fringes.

***

Menara Maybank.

1 Malaysia #1. I met an elderly Chinese auntie. This was not her first rally. The Anti-ISA rally was her first. She was doing it for her children, she said.

Tear Gas #1. We ran helter-skelter.

***

Tung Shin Hospital.

We were waiting with the rest to march to the stadium. But the Men in Blue gave us no rest.

Tear Gas #2. We ran helter-skelter again.

We ran into the shelter, eyes, nose and throat hurting from the gas.

ALL I WANT IS CLEAN AND FAIR ELECTIONS! WHY AM I TREATED LIKE A CRIMINAL?

***

1 Malaysia #2. We ran into the shelter. Eyes still stinging.

Four Malay boys who were standing around offered us salt.

“Rub it around your eyes and put some in the roof of your mouth,” Arif said. “Take this bag of salt, give it to those who need it.”

“Thank you, and please, please, please take care,” we bade him.

***

Rain. THANK GOD FOR RAIN!

***

Still in Tung Shin Hospital grounds.

Tear Gas #3. WE WERE IN THE HOSPITAL GROUNDS, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!

***

We ran helter-skelter. And we saw a wall. There was nowhere else to run, as police were chasing with their batons.

1 Malaysia #3. An elderly Chinese uncle stood by the wall.

“Uncle, go first.. go first,” I told him.

“No, no... after you!” And he helped me over the wall. And on the other side of the wall, was another Malay uncle... standing and giving a hand to all of us who were running.

We continued running.

1 Malaysia #4. I came to another wall. This time, this wall had a metal fence. With sharp pointers.

I climbed up the wall. And looked down. There was no way I was going to make it down there unscathed.

A young Malay chap climbed up to where I was. Lifted me, and lowered me down the other side.. his stomach pressing against the sharp metal pointers as he was doing so.

“Are you okay?” I turned back and asked.

“Yes, just run,” was his reply.

***

After having survived three rounds of tear gas... we were still dissatisfied.

This rally is not over!

We heard chants from afar, and decided we would join our fellow comrades in the march to Stadium Merdeka.

***

1 Malaysia #5. As we were heading towards the crowd, we saw three Chinese aunties.

They warned us against heading in that direction, because they just saw the FRUs and the police beating people up with batons.

“Thank you for coming, auntie. For doing this for our generation,” I said.

She looked at me with bewilderment. Took off her hat, and said to me, “Why do you thank me? My father didn’t do this for me. Now I will do it for my children. For my grandchildren. I will march in every state every week — until I see change happen.”

***

We found the crowd. And marched on to KLCC.

“Rasa sayang, hey! Rasa sayang sayang hey! Hey...” was what we heard the crowd singing.

***

We arrived in KLCC. Sat. Made a few more friends.

And ran. Because the police were after us again.

As we ran for our lives, I saw two other people in front of me.

In running, they hit and toppled the barricades that were around KLCC. And to my utter amazement, they stopped, picked up the barricades, arranged it to be how it was like before, and continued running.

***

9th of July, 2011.

I am proud.

Proud to have friends — students and white-collared workers, who would risk being detained and being treated inhumanely to stand for what is right.

Proud to have Malaysian brothers and sisters — this is my pledge. That this will be the last time I refer to anybody by race. Because of the kindness you showed me and my friends today, you showed me that we are CAPABLE, of being COLOUR BLIND.

Proud of the way we behaved during the rally. We were not violent. We were courteous. We helped each other. We pushed on despite being treated like dogs because we kept in mind -- the next generation that is to come after us.

Proud that we showed kindness instead of retaliating when we were provoked.

Proud that now, nobody can call us Third World — because we did not react the way the Middle East did.

And most of all, I am proud — so proud, that WE DID NOT SUCCUMB TO THE TACTICS THAT SOUGHT TO INSTILL FEAR IN US. THAT WE CHOSE TO RISE ABOVE THE FEAR WE HAVE BEEN SO BOUND BY.

***

Negaraku, tanah tumpahnya darahku.

9th July 2011. The day I am so proud of my fellow Malaysian friends.

Recently, a very prominent leader gave a speech at an international meeting. According to THIS SITE, he said:

We need to hear the concerted voices from moderates in all countries and from all walks of life. And when we do, the prize of peace is there for all to see.

10. But while one man standing in the road is a nuisance, a mere distraction, ten men standing together are far harder to ignore.

And if those ten become a hundred, a thousand, a million, a billion even, they become a force so big, so strong and so united in their common cause that those who espouse hatred will face a very simple choice.

They can join us, or they can remain where they are and be crushed by the force of our collective will.

11. So it is for people who cherish moderation, dignity and justice everywhere to stand firm, and stand proud, to dissipate the pull of terror and to deny those at the margins a foothold in the middle ground - ensuring that frustrations, wherever they are felt, are heeded and that voices, wherever they speak out, are heard.

Do you know who said those words?

Make a guess!

If you do not know, CLICK HERE to see the whole speech.

And all that was spoken before July 9th, 2011.

The people have spoken. Loudly. Clearly. In a united chorus!

Let's hope he walks the talk now and listens to the frustrations of the people.

Indeed, in the twinkling of an eye, ten became "a hundred, a thousand, a million, a billion even, they become a force so big, so strong and so united in their common cause that those who espouse hatred will face a very simple choice. 

Who are trembling and shivering now that so many have spoken?

Will he listen to the rakyat?

Or in his own words, "will they remain where they are and be crushed by the force of our collective will?"

Only he can answer that! But will he?

With much sadness, I read THIS REPORT which said that PSM’s Sungai Siput MP Dr D Michael Jeyakumar, presently detained without trial under the Emergency Ordinance 1969, has been admitted to the National Heart Institute (IJN) here for heartbeat abnormality.

According to the report, he is said to be in a stable condition but his family members are complaining that they are not being allowed to visit him. Only Jeyakumar’s wife has been allowed to visit him so far.

On 25th of June, Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj was among 30 Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members arrested in relation to the upcoming July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally. They were then released and rearrested on July 2 under Emergency Ordinance 1969 for being a national threat.

After his first arrest,Jeyakumar was admitted to a hospital in Penang over his heart condition.

According to The Nut Graph:

In the 1999 general election, Jeyakumar contested unsuccessfully under the DAP banner against incumbent MIC candidate Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu in a three-cornered fight that included Malaysian Democratic Party candidate Mohamad Asri Othman.


In the 2004 elections, Jeyakumar again contested unsuccessfully against Samy Vellu but under the PKR banner. Also contesting the seat then in a three-cornered fight was DAP candidate Sanmugam Ponmugam Ponnan.

Jeyakumar is a member of the Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) but was elected to Parliament on the ticket of the People's Justice Party in the Pakatan Rakyat opposition coalition.

This is a man who has demonstrated much passion to serve the people and one who has soldiered on to realize his ambition to serve the rakyat.

Personally, I have only met MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj once at a forum on health care and was very impressed by his sincere love and desire to serve the people. Coming from a Christian family devoted to social work, it is no surprise that he is utterly devoted to humanitarian causes.

In 1972 and 1973, his mother Datin Seri Elizabeth Devaraj was my Geography teacher in MGS Penang while his sisters Sheila was my senior while Prema (Programme director at the Women’s Centre for Change in Penang) was my junior. In the mid 1980's, I worked with his mom, aunt (Mrs Mary Paul) and cousin in women's issues. Datin Seri E Devaraj is such a passionate woman who is so driven to improve the lot of women in our country. She has left a legacy with her immense contribution towards the Young Women Christian Association, Children Protection Society, and the Home for Single Mothers. Many in Penang are well aware of his father's fantastic contributions in hospice work. Datuk Seri T Devaraj is the CEO and Medical Director of the National Cancer Society of Malaysia (Penang branch).

If ever there was a saint in Malaysia, it is Dr Michael J Devaraj - a selfless soul from a well-to-do background but who lives with so much humility.  Walking in the footsteps of his parents, MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar comes forth as a selfless man who has put others first.

Martin Vengadasan (The Star) was spot on when he wrote:

The man doesn’t just talk the talk, he lives it: One of the common sights in Sungai Siput is that of Dr Jeyakumar and his wife, R. Moharani, driving around in a beat-up car doing social work on the days when he isn’t busy as a medical practitioner (he specialised in internal medicine).

“I think my car is not so beat-up, but there is some truth to that. I met my wife as part of the struggle. As students in Universiti Malaya in 1977, we took part in an anak angkat (adoption) programme in Sungai Siput, and that’s how we met.”

Moharani is now a full-time volunteer with PSM and secretary of its Buntong branch (in Perak) as well as being a member of the party’s central committee. The couple have a 15-year-old son.

I sincerely hope that God's grace and healing touch will be upon MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj and that he will recover from whatever ailment he is facing. May there be a miracle and may the authorities concerned release him and the others as soon as possible.

*I am writing as a concerned Malaysian and am not a member of Parti Sosialis Malaysia.

Here's a very good story to boost your mood. Thanks to Angela who sent me this post.

As we all know, an Atheist is a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings (GOD)

Go ahead and read

ATHEIST IN THE WOODS

An atheist was walking through the woods.

'What majestic trees!'

'What powerful rivers!'

'What beautiful animals!'

He said to himself.

As he was walking alongside the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him.

He turned to look. He saw a 7-foot grizzly bear charge towards him.

He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder & saw that the bear was closing in on him.

He looked over his shoulder again, & the bear was even closer.

He tripped & fell on the ground.

He rolled over to pick himself up but saw that the bear was right on top of him, reaching for him with his left paw & raising his right paw to strike him.

At that instant moment, the Atheist cried out,'Oh my God!'

Time stopped.

The bear froze.

The forest was silent.

As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky.

'You deny my existence for all these years, teach others I don't exist and even credit creation to cosmic accident.'

'Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament?'

'Am I to count you as a believer?'

The atheist looked directly into the light, and said: 'It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps you could make the BEAR a Christian?'

'Very well', said the voice.

The light went out. The sounds of the forest resumed. And the bear dropped his right paw, brought both paws together, bowed his head & spoke:

'Lord bless this food, which I am about to receive from Thy bounty, Amen.'

*Posted for laughs. Have a nice day!

by Justin McCurry in Tokyo

It seems almost improper to suggest that fortune was smiling on Tsutomu Yamaguchi in the dying days of the second world war.

On 6 August 1945, he was in Hiroshima, preparing to return home from a business trip when the American B-29 bomber, the Enola Gay, dropped an atomic bomb on the city. Yamaguchi lived, while 140,000 other people who were in the city that morning died, some in an agonizing instant, others many months later.

Burned and barely able to comprehend what had happened - only that he had witnessed a bomb unlike any used before - Yamaguchi spent a fitful night in an air raid shelter before returning home the following day.

That home, 180 miles to the west, was Nagasaki. His arrival came the day before it was devastated by a second US atomic bomb on 9 August.

In a barely conceivable course of events, he had twice been perilously close to nuclear ground zero; and both times he had lived. More than 70,000 other residents of Nagasaki were not so lucky.

More than 60 years later, the 93-year-old became the first and only known survivor of both attacks yesterday to win official recognition from Japanese authorities.

While other survivors died prematurely from cancer and liver disease caused by their exposure to radiation, Yamaguchi remains in relatively good health apart from near-deafness in one ear and complaints that his legs are "growing weak".

Japanese records show dozens of people experienced the blast in Hiroshima only to be exposed to "residual radiation" in Nagasaki three days later. But Yamaguchi is the first to have been at ground zero when both explosions occurred.

According to a newspaper interview Yamaguchi gave on the 60th anniversary of the end of the Pacific war, he had spent the conflict designing oil tankers for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, a wartime zaibatsu, or conglomerate, whose shipyards dominated the Nagasaki skyline.

After a three-month stint at the firm's yards in Hiroshima, Yamaguchi and two colleagues, Akira Iwanaga and Kuniyoshi Sato, prepared to return to Nagasaki on 7 August, 1945. The day before, they woke early, collected their belongings and prepared for the train journey west.

On the way to the station they became separated after Yamaguchi realised he had left his personal seal in the office.

He remembers hearing the Enola Gay circling above, but thought nothing of it: Hiroshima was an important wartime industrial base, and the sound of circling planes had become a fact of life.

Within seconds he had been knocked to his feet by the force of the blast as "Little Boy" detonated 580 metres above central Hiroshima just after 8.15 am, announcing its arrival with a blinding flash followed by a deafening boom. As he stumbled to the train station the next day, Yamaguchi witnessed the destruction and carnage left by the bomber's 13-kiloton payload.

The following day, his burns swathed in bandages, Yamaguchi reported for work in Nagasaki, like Hiroshima an important industrial and military base.

At 11.02 on 9 August, as his boss reportedly questioned his sanity for believing that a single bomb could destroy a city the size of Hiroshima, a 25-kiloton plutonium bomb exploded above Nagasaki, throwing Yamaguchi to the ground.

He, his wife and baby son survived and spent the following week in a shelter near what was left of their home. His son has since died of cancer aged 59.

After the war Yamaguchi worked for the US occupation authorities, became a teacher and eventually returned to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

Yamaguchi was quoted yesterday by the Mainichi newspaper. "My double radiation exposure is now an official government record. It can tell the younger generation the horrifying history of the atomic bombings even after I die," he said.

As a registered survivor of the Nagasaki bombing, Yamaguchi has owned a pale violet copy of the Atomic Bomb Victim Health Handbook since 1957, entitling him to monthly allowances, free medical checkups and funeral costs. More than 260,000 others are similarly covered.

Please click HERE to read the rest of the article. Thanks and have a nice day!

Newspaper editors, journalists or mass communication students need not be told about the importance of press freedom or their responsibility in observing the virtues of peace in their writing. Yet, in many parts of the world today, it seems that some are unaware of the articulate and strong connection between the two. From a theoretical standpoint, a free press promotes peace so creating a universally free press would promote universal peace. Obviously, the bridge between the two is democracy.

To political science or sociology students, democracy is indeed a complex term that requires elaborate definition. Many would prefer to define democracy by certain rights such as that of voting and the secret ballot, of being able to run for any political office, including the highest, and of freedom of speech. Of course, the latter means not only the freedom to publish criticism of the government, but other aspects of everyday living as well. With the exception of war times, censorship and democracy are totally incompatible.

A look at the present governments of many countries can tell us that the most democratic have the media that enjoys the most freedom while the least democratic have the least free media. Indeed, it is an inconceivable relationship because it could actually be otherwise. Plainly, a free press is essential to democracy,thus promoting freedom of the press also promotes democracy. If we follow that line of argument such as in any critical thinking class ;), a way to democracy is by working to create a free press. Don't you agree?

Did you realize that democracies do not make war on each other? There has been no war and virtually no threat of violence between any two countries that are democratic, at least not that I am aware of anyway. Normally, most wars occur between the least free countries. Of the about 167 sovereign nations in the world today, 60 of them democracies which have not had any war between them or even the threat of war; in fact, none of these democracies arm against each other. Not one. In its long, bloody history, for example, Western Europe is finally at peace. There is not even any expectation of war whatsoever among these countries. Note that Western Europe is also almost totally democratic.

Secondly, if one were to study the history of the different democracies, one can see that such countries tend to have the least internal violence (riots, revolutions, guerrilla warfare, civil war); in other words, those countries with the least freedom tend to have the most violence!!

Finally, democratic governments just do not kill their own citizens except for the most reprehensible civil crimes but the least free tend to kill their citizens by the millions for political, religious, or racial reasons. It is undeniable that genocide and totalitarianism are almost synonymous.

Let's take a look at some shocking statistics:

*Hitler may have slaughtered as many as 14,000,000 people, including nearly 5,000,000 Jews;
*Stalin surely outdid him by murdering well over 20,000,000;
*Mao Tse-Tung possibly liquidated even more;
*Pol Pot in Cambodia exterminated around 2,000,000 Cambodians;
*the Young Turks killed over 1,000,000 Armenians during World War I.
* Let us not forget the the massacres in Ethiopia, Vietnam, Syria, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Indonesia, East Pakistan, and elsewhere.

A twentieth century, global blood bath of over 100,000,000; over 140,000,000 people when battle-deaths in foreign and domestic wars are included. Let us bear in mind that not one of those millions were killed in a war or violence between democracies. Few, if any, citizens of a democracy have been killed by their own government for other than civil crimes like murder .

It should be clear that democratic governments have a very important role to promote nonviolence and world peace. If every country in the world practises democracy, based on the lessons learned from history and contemporary events, we would eliminate domestic violence and many other senseless killings.

The conclusion is evident. If any one country advances freedom of the press, one is developing and furthering democracy and spreading the freedom of the press actually promotes world peace. The reverse logic is also true so I rest my case. Just as without democracies, there will be war, without freedom of the press, democracies cannot exist. Those in the media industry and even citizens everywhere should realize this simple equation. So do we have a free press? In other words.....

Iris Chang shot to fame years ago for her book "The Rape of Nanking" which is about the 1937–1938 Nanking Massacre and atrocities committed by the Imperial Japanese Army after it captured Nanjing, then capital of China, during the Second Sino-Japanese War. It documents the events, based on the author's research, leading up to the Nanking Massacre and the atrocities that were committed. The book also presents the view that the Japanese government has not done enough to redress the atrocities. It is one of the first major English-language books to introduce the Nanking Massacre to Western and Eastern readers alike, and has been translated into several languages. If you have not yet read the book, please do so. I assure you that you will be shocked by its contents!

According to Wikipedia, Chang received hate mail (primarily from Japanese ultranationalists), threatening notes on her car and believed her phone was tapped. She would respond overwhelmingly to any question of the validity of her work. Her own mother said the book "made Iris sad". Chang suffered from depression and was diagnosed with "brief reactive psychosis" in August 2004. Succumbing to her battle with depression, Chang took her own life in November 2004.

Yesterday, BBC News featured the following article. It gives a westerner's perspective of the massacre.

Please read it and leave a comment if you like. I would love to hear your views. Thanks!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'Good Nazi of Nanjing' sparks debate'

A film about a member of the Nazi party who saved thousands of Chinese during the massacre in Nanjing recently opened in Germany. The BBC's Zoe Murphy looks at the possible impact this unlikely hero's story may have on Sino-Japanese relations.

On Christmas Eve in 1937, German businessman John Rabe visited the mortuary in China's then capital, Nanjing.

He later described in his diary the charred body of a civilian man whose eyes had been gouged out, and a boy of perhaps seven, whose corpse was punctured with bayonet wounds.

"I wanted to see these atrocities with my own eyes, so that I can speak as an eyewitness later," he wrote. "A man cannot be silent about this kind of cruelty!"

The Second Sino-Japanese War was raging.

Japanese troops had stormed the capital, carrying out mass executions and raping tens of thousands of local women and girls, in a six-week orgy of violence that became known as the Rape of Nanjing.

Risking his life, Rabe remained in China and, along with a handful of Westerners, set up a "safety zone" in Nanjing that is thought to have prevented the massacre of more than 200,000 Chinese during one of the bloodiest episodes of the Japanese invasion.

As Germany and Japan were allies, Rabe used his Nazi party membership to do all he could to protect civilians in the zone - including 650 sheltering refugees in his own house and garden.

With a flash of his swastika armband and through sheer force of personality, he intervened in acts of looting and attempted rape by the Japanese troops.

The diaries of this unlikely and unsung hero only became public knowledge in the late 1990s, when they were published in Germany. They have now been made into a film, simply titled John Rabe.

The biopic, which premiered recently in Germany, may stoke historical tensions between Beijing and Tokyo. But it is hoped that Rabe's story may renew debate and ultimately help heal old wounds.

Historical document

The events of 1937 have left enormous psychological scars in China, and the Chinese believe that Japan has not done enough to atone for its militarist past.

China says 300,000 people were killed during the assault on Nanjing. But much to the anger of Beijing, some conservative Japanese politicians and academics have said such figures are exaggerated. Some even deny that a massacre ever took place.

Such declarations also frustrate mainstream historians in Japan and further afield.

William Kirby, head of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University, says the exact death toll is not the main issue.

"What you have is a great massacre of a civilian population that goes on for weeks… Nanjing is surrendered but the Japanese proceed to terrorise the inhabitants. These facts are incontrovertible."

Coming to light nearly 60 years after the event, he says that John Rabe's diaries are a powerful new document detailing what happened day-by-day.

Mr Kirby says that Rabe had "no anti-Japanese axe to grind" at the outset.

"He saw the Japanese as a normal army and initially resisted the stories of wrongdoing - he was a neutral outsider."

During the conflict, Rabe wrote: "Last night up to 1,000 women and girls are said to have been raped... If husbands or brothers intervene, they're shot.

"What you hear and see on all sides is the brutality and bestiality of the Japanese soldiery."

Nazi links

The film's director Florian Gallenberger says it was by staying true to the events as described by Rabe that the film achieved neutrality.

"At the beginning of the conflict I think [Rabe] has great trust in the Japanese as German allies to behave in a disciplined and fair way - but when it turns out otherwise he is shocked. He feels it is his responsibility to act."

Please click here to read the rest of the article. Thanks.

There is so much talk and brouhaha over human rights that I thought I'd post this for us to know more about this hot topic.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Following this historic act the Assembly called upon all Member countries to publicize the text of the Declaration and "to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories."

PREAMBLE

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,
Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.
Article 1.

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2.

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3.

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4.

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5.

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6.

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7.

All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 8.

Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 9.

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 10.

Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

Article 11.

(1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defense.

(2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.

Article 12.

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honor and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 13.

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.

(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

Article 14.

(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.

(2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 15.

(1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.

(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

Article 16.

(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.

(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.

(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Article 17.

(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.

(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 18.

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19.

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 20.

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

(2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

Article 21.

(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.

(2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.

(3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Article 22.

Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.

Article 23.

(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favorable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.

(2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.

(3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favorable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.

(4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Article 24.

Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 25.

(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

(2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Article 26.

(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.

(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.

(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

Article 27.

(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.

(2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

Article 28.

Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 29.

(1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.

(2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.

(3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 30.

Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.