PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
HUMAN RIGHTS IN MALAYSIA (11 May 2011)

That this House notes with concern that Mr Charles Hector Fernandez, a Malaysian human rights lawyer, faces defamation charges in Malaysia for having detailed labour rights violations of 31 Burmese migrant workers at a Japanese firm based in Malaysia on his blog; further notes that Mr Hector Fernandez had raised his allegations with the firm prior to publishing them to his blog, in order that they might correct misinformation, without response; further notes that on 11 April 2011 Mr Hector Fernandez was restricted from all further communication through his blog and Twitter; expresses deep concern at the lack of adequate labour protections for migrant workers in Malaysia and condemns discriminatory treatment of Burmese migrants in particular; further notes the critical role of human rights defenders in upholding the labour rights of migrant workers, who often suffer rights violations and deprivations; expresses deep concern at the threat to free speech in Malaysia this trial poses; calls on the Government to ensure its representatives in Malaysia are present during the hearing and trial of Mr Hector Fernandez on 13 May 2011 and 28 and 29 June 2011 respectively; and furthercalls on the Government to make strong representations in this regard, in particular calling on the Malaysian Government to ensure that the principles enshrined in the 1998 UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders are upheld.

Sponsored by:
Paul Blomfield (Labour)