August 8, 2000

4:10 AM

Malasia's attitude to sodomy and politicsis brought into graphic focus by this bizarre news story in which an ex leader of the country has been sentenced to nine years in prison for sodomy. His brother has been sentenced to six years and four lashes with a rattan cane. Human rights violations literally up the wazoo...
posted by barbelith (3 comments total)

Wait a minute..Isn't this press coverage part of the global conspiracy to undermine developing nations' economic prosperity and ridicule their alternative Asian 'community' values? That's what Dr Mahatir would have us Australians believe.

But then again...we know a regional bully when we see one. Thankfully, he doesn't have Japan's industrial might or we might have had to construct bomb shelters again...
posted by murray_kester at 5:19 AM on August 8, 2000

This is the outcome of a power play between Mahathir and Anwar and Anwar lost, at least for the time being. It's a shame that Malaysia's institutions have been so corrupted by the domestic money politics which has also stifled its democracy and rigged this trial outcome.
Surprizingly, however, you'll find very little sympathy for Anwar amongst the ethnic chinese in Malaysia who one might think would be his natural allies in the 'reformasi' movement.
Many see him as a dangerous Malay nationalist who wants to extend and impose islamic laws rather than build a truly democratic and multi-racial society.
Mahathir's rule now relies more than ever before on his alliance of malay, chinese and indian parties. While, Anwar's supporters have moved closer to the religious conservatives.

posted by lagado at 6:50 AM on August 8, 2000

...coming at this from a completely different angle: In the 'developed world' this story is not just interesting because of the political corruption, it offends some people that you can actually be locked up for sodomy in Malaysia (whether you believe it was all a fix or not). Our press would have a field day with their principles regarding young girls, sex and marriage. People consider this story appalling because they are 'just not like us'.
posted by nico at 11:29 PM on August 10, 2000