Top 10 Human Rights Day slogans for Malaysia
Technorati tags: Humor, Satire, Human Rights, World Human Rights Day, Bar Council, Festival Of Rights
Hi there kiddies! One last shopping day before World Human Rights Day, and what a day it is! Since to normal, peace loving human beings, human rights is a very important thing, Walski decided to create some slogans for WHR Day, which falls every year on December 10th - same as it did last year and the years before.
Since sloganeering is such an important facet of our narcoleptic democratic way of life here in Malaysia, here's Walski's small contribution - the top 10 suggested slogans for this year's World Human Rights Day.
Avanti! But ironically, counting backwards from Number Ten...
WHR Day Slogan #10: Warrants? We don't need no stinking Warrants!
WHR Day Slogan #9: Human Rights - Just a Water Cannon & Tear Gas cannister away!
WHR Day Slogan #8: Kind & Considerate: As Long as you support BN
The Star yesterday quoted PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as saying “The Government has been kind and considerate towards the people for the past 50 years. It will continue to do so for as long as the people give their support to the Barisan Nasional”
WHR Day Slogan #7: Morning Walk + No Police Permit = Jail!
8 people, including 5 lawyers were arrested this morning for attempting to have a peaceful march from the Sogo Complex, to the Bar Council headquarters (via Malaysiakini - subscription required). The original People's Freedom March, as part of the Bar Council's Human Rights Day celebrations, was called off after police demanded that the Council apply for a police permit. The MSM version, from The Star, can be read here. Photo above was taken from the Suzanne Lee Photography website, where there are a lot more photos from the walk, and eventual police action.
WHR Day Slogan #6: ISA: Human Rights the Malaysian way!
(the Top 10 continues, and more, in the full post) WHR Day Slogan #5: BN Rights 1 - Human Rights 0 WHR Day Slogan #4: Dignity & Justice For All - It's Just Western Imperialist Propaganda WHR Day Slogan #4: Who needs Human Rights when you've got Shopping Malls? WHR Day Slogan #3: My name is Bon, Edmund Bon WHR Day Slogan #2: Human Rights? We simply don't give a shit And last, but not least, the Number 1 World Human Rights Day slogan, to be embraced by all Malaysians, for 2007 (and beyond) is: WHR Day Slogan #1: Malaysia - a proud member of the UN Human Rights Council ... without having the slightest clue why... Walski's post-Top Ten pet-peeve phfootnote: In case you are still wondering, what else did you think the eulogy was written for? Truth be told, Walski feels a little depressed right now, and therefore was faced with two choices: Barrel forward, looking at the situation and laugh his ass off at the ridiculousness of it all (and keeping his sanity), OR Fall into a forlorn, depressive mode of writing (and feed the depression monster)... Walski opted for the former... On a lighter note, Walski can't think of any better way to win over the world's public opinion (that Malaysia highly values the concept of Human Rights), than to arrest those who participate in peaceful, non-provocative, non-violent events to celebrate World Human Rights Day.
World Human Rights Day, December 10, 2007, will mark a year-long celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), and the theme is “Dignity and justice for all of us”. As with most "Islamic" nations Malaysia has a problem with the wording of certain clauses of the UDHR. For example, the portions touching of freedom of belief and gender equality. Sad, but true.
Also today, Edmund Bon, Bar Council human rights committee chairperson, was arrested for preventing DBKL personnel from removing banners (for the Human Rights Day celebrations) outside of the council's premises (via Malaysiakini - subscription required). Organizers alleged that police were also intimidating members of the public who showed up for the celebrations. Eyewitness accounts indicate that Edmund, was arrested at about 12.45pm for blocking Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) officials from removing human rights banners outside the Malaysian Bar building in Leboh Pasar Besar in Kuala Lumpur.
Earlier this week, Edmund spoke out against the authorities for insisting that the Bar Council apply for a police permit for their Festival of Rights celebration: "On a day where everyone ought to celebrate human rights, it is also an important time to take stock of the repression of rights in this country, particularly the regulation of free speech and expression by way of licensing requirements. The right to freedom of expression in Malaysia is in practical terms illusory. Licensed expression is not expression. We need to change this." (via Human Rights Day)
In Walski's mind, Edmund Bon shall forever be the poster child for Malaysians trying to uphold their constitutional rights (for a lot of different things) - rights that have habitually been trampled upon time after time.
