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In conjunction with the International Human Rights Day on 10 December 2007, Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) will once again present its annual Human Rights Awards to a community or group that has been outstanding and inspiring in their efforts to promote and protect human rights.“This will be the 9th SUARAM Human Rights Awards since its inception in 1999,” said Yap Swee Seng, Executive Director of SUARAM.

“Since the inaugural award was presented in 1999, the winners have been diverse in their causes, but all of them have overcome tremendous hardships and tribulations in the fight for human rights,” Yap added.

Previous winners of the awards were:- the urban settler community of Kampung Sungai Nipah (1999); the Reformasi Movement (2000); Save Our Schools Damansara and wives of ISA detainees (2001, joint winners); Police Watch & Human Rights Committee (2002); the former plantation workers’ community of Ladang Braemar (2003); the Kuala Kuang villagers and the workers of Euromedical Industries (2004, joint winners); and the Temuan Orang Asli Community from Kampung Bukit Tampoi in Dengkil (2005); and the Chin Refugee Committee and the Bukit Jelutong plantation community (2006, joint winners).

“The objective of presenting our annual awards, besides giving recognition to the struggles for human rights of local communities, is to promote and introduce the diverse nature in human rights work to Malaysians from all walks of life,” Yap said.

“We also aim to encourage and strengthen cooperation between groups working on human rights in Malaysia,” he added.

According to Yap, the winners this year will be determined by a panel of judges comprised of notable human rights defenders.

Among the judges confirmed are former National Human Rights Society (HAKAM) President Ramdas Tikamdas, Tenaganita Director Dr. Irene Fernandez, Dr. Colin Nicholas of Centre for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC), Maria Chin Abdullah of Women’s Development Collective (WDC), former Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees Irene Xavier and Dr. Nasir Hashim, and human rights lawyer Amer Hamzah.

The judges will decide the winner who will be awarded a prize money of RM1,500 and a specially-designed trophy which will be presented to winners from this year onwards. The trophy will be designed by renowned artist Wong Hoy Cheong, who has exhibited widely in Asia, Australia and Europe, including at the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford (2004), the prestigious Venice Biennale (2003), Gwangju Biennale (2000), and the Fukuoka Triennial (1999).

On the specially-designed trophy, Yap said, “We hope to bring prestige and artistic value to the awards. The permanent trophy design will be a symbol of the human rights struggle in Malaysia.”

SUARAM will present its 2007 Human Rights Awards on 10 December 2007, together with the launch of the overview of its 2007 Human Rights Report.

“It would be a perfect opportunity for all who are concerned about the human rights situation in Malaysia to come together in the event on 10 December to critically evaluate the past year on the one hand, and to give recognition to those who have selflessly struggled for the human rights cause on the other,” Yap said.

Nominations for the awards are now open to all and will be closed on 30 November 2007. Nomination forms can be downloaded from SUARAM’s official website: www.suaram.net.

For more information, please contact John Liu or Wong Chai Yi (tel +603 7784 3525 / 7783 5724; fax +603 7784 3526; or email suaram@suaram.netThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ).