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Global Coalition says country has previously committed to Court

New York, NY.: In a 2 July 2007 letter to Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC)—an international network of more than 2,000 non-governmental organizations advocating for a fair, effective and independent Court—urged the government of Malaysia to accede to the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court (ICC). More than half of the world—104 countries—has joined the ICC, which is the first permanent international court capable of trying individuals accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The Coalition’s letter highlights an October 2005 visit to Kuala Lumpur by ICC President Philippe Kirsch who was invited to the country by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia. The Coalition has been encouraged by this visit, and also by the comments of the former Attorney General of Malaysia Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman, who later expressed hope “that Malaysia will seriously consider subscribing to the Rome Statute and submit to the jurisdiction of the ICC.”

Highlighting the importance of the country’s accession to the Court, Andrew Khoo, Deputy Chairperson of the Malaysian Bar Association’s Human Rights Committee, which serves as the secretariat for the Malaysian chapter of the CICC, said, “It is a small yet highly significant step for Malaysia, which now sits on the United Nations Human Rights Committee, to reaffirm its commitment to the rule of law globally by ratifying the Rome Statute.

From Malaysia’s ratification of the Geneva Convention to its assistance to Indonesia during the Asian Tsunami and to Timor Leste during its nation-building, Malaysia’s commitment to humanitarian efforts and international humanitarian law is almost as old as the country itself, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year,” he added.

Currently, the only Asian states parties to the Court are Cambodia, Timor Leste, Republic of Korea, Mongolia, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Although Thailand, the Philippines and Bangladesh have signed the Statute, they have yet to complete the process of ratification. Japan has completed the legislative steps required to accede to the Statute and is expected to deposit its instrument of accession in July 2007, becoming the 105th state party to the ICC. The Coalition is equally encouraged by the momentum in Nepal and Indonesia toward ratification by 2008. In addition, Lao DPR has also announced its intention to accede but has yet to work out the requirements to do so.

“We are hopeful that support for international justice in Asia is building,” said CICC Convenor William Pace. “Malaysia’s accession to the ICC treaty would help galvanize this support and ensure greater regional participation in the global struggle to end impunity for the gravest of crimes.”

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