20 Years Defending Rights

Suaram is the leading non-governmental human rights organization in Malaysia today. It was founded in 1989 by several detainees who had just been released from detention without trial under Operation Lalang together with others who had campaigned for their release.

Through its twenty years of existence, SUARAM has become the Malaysian human rights centre to which victims of state oppression turn for support and assistance. The organization defends all aspects of human rights especially the freedom from abuse of police powers and law enforcement agencies; freedom of speech and expression; freedom of information: freedom of assembly and association; freedom of religion; and the rights of minorities, refugees, asylum seekers, migrants and trafficked persons.

SUARAM is the only human rights organization in Malaysia to have published a credible and comprehensive human right report every year without fail. The annual SUARAM Malaysia Human Rights Report is both objective and non-partisan and is keenly awaited every year by local as well as foreign human rights watchers.

The organization has also facilitated some important coalitions among Malaysian NGOs which have contributed to the political tsunami of 8 March 2008 including the ANTI-ISA movement since 1989; Malaysian Charter on Human Rights in 1993; the Malaysian Human Rights Report and Stop Bakun Dam campaign in 1995; the people's tribunal against police brutality and the Second Asia Pacific Conference on East Timor in 1996; the People’s Democratic Front (Gagasan Demokrasi Rakyat) in 1998; Save Our Sungai Selangor and People Before Profit in 2000; Policing the Police in 2004.

This brief history of SUARAM serves as a record of the contributions of the young activists who have served in SUARAM to make a difference to Malaysian society by putting peace, equality, justice, democracy and human rights on the national agenda.

“The past two decades have seen considerable deterioration in many areas of human rights and civil liberties in Malaysia. But it has not been a free fall; it has not been without hope precisely because of the efforts of organizations with dedicated persons who are prepared to work against the odds, often in frustrating circumstances, and with a remarkable sense of urgency. One such organization is SUARAM.”