Malaysia: End caning as a punishment for all offences
On the 20 July, the Shariah High Court in the Malaysian state of Pahang sentenced Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, 32, to six strokes of the cane and fined her RM5,000 (approximately US$ 1,400) after she pleaded guilty to consuming alcohol last year at a hotel there. The judge in the case had also threatened to jail her for three years if she did not pay the RM 5,000 fine, which she subsequently paid.
The Malaysian authorities should immediately revoke the sentence to cane her and abolish the practice of caning altogether. Caning is a form of cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and is prohibited under international human rights law.
The court has ordered that Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno be remanded at the Kajang women’s prison from Monday, 24 August, and caned within seven days of this date. According to reports, no one in the country, male or female, has so far been caned under the country’s Shariah laws, making her the first to be punished in this way. Reports also say that she is the first woman to be caned in Malaysia.
Amnesty International called on the Malaysian government to stop caning people immediately and repeal all laws providing for caning and all other forms of corporal punishment. Currently caning is used as a supplementary punishment for at least 40 crimes in Malaysia.
In June 2009, the Malaysian government announced that they had sentenced 47,914 migrants to be caned for immigration offences since amendments to its Immigration Act came into force in 2002. At least 34,923 migrants have so far been caned between 2002 and 2008, according to the country’s prison department records.
Comments
Robert Szatmary | Posted on 24 August 2009, 05:45PM | Report comment
HI James, Yes. This was a unique opportunity for Amnesty to support this particular caning, on the condition that it was done in public. Amnesty would be instrumental in creating a huge publicity machine reaching all corners of the globe, showing that Muslim laws are unacceptable. Imagine what people worwide would say, if they saw this on TV and in the newspapers. I cannot think of a better publicity and media opportunity that will shame Malaysia’s degrading and humiliating laws that deprive women of equal rights. This is a unique matter becaise the lady would have suffered only six lashes for the greater good; to shame these disgusting and humiliating laws. And let the whole world see for themselves on TV just how seriously abhorent this conviction is.
James | Posted on 24 August 2009, 05:24PM | Report comment
Hi Robert, would I be right in reading your comment as saying that Amnesty should put all of its resources into supporting the caning of Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno - the woman identified in the news story above - in public?
Robert Szatmary | Posted on 21 August 2009, 07:38PM | Report comment
Amnesty International should devote all their immediate resources to urgent legal applications in Malaysian courts, to have the Malaysians cane this mother-of-two in public so that the whole world can come to properly witness and understand, Muslim law. Only then can the muslim community expect to gain our tolerance and acceptance, of the laws that we think are inapropriate. They have a perfect opportunity and a willing martyr who is prepared to help educate us westerners, in these forms of punishment. This I say, would certainly add more beneficial publicity and gather grewater support, to banning this form of punishement