In conjunction with International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) is launching a cartoon competition focusing on campaigning against torture of juvenile. The cartoon competition will launch the Malaysian Youth Action against Torture #MYACT campaign and the theme of the competition is ‘Youth against Torture’. The cartoon competition is part of the joint project with Association for Prevention of Torture (APT), a Geneva-based organisation titled: “Reducing risky practices leading to torture and ill-treatment in police custody in Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand”.
The prevalence of torture and ill-treatment is due to in large part of an accepted culture in Malaysia that torture should be allowed in the name of public security and safety. Therefore, the cartoon competition aims to increase public awareness by empowering young people to reflect on the practice, culture, withheld beliefs on torture, and realize it through their drawings.
Participants would be submitting their artwork that may include but not limited to how young people understand torture in Malaysia, how they perceived torture under law enforcement’s custody, the public perception towards torture and government’s efforts and attitudes towards preventing torture. Ideally, the artworks from the competition will also benefit the advocacy efforts of national organisations such as SUHAKAM, ACT4CAT or Bar Council towards campaigning against torture and advocating Malaysia’s ratification of Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT).
About SUARAM
SUARAM has conducted extensive documentation, monitoring and advocacy work relating to police brutality, torture prevention and indefinite detention over the past 30 years. SUARAM is part of the national network coordinated by the National Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) called ACT4CAT, a network that advocates for UNCAT ratification by Malaysia. SUARAM is also a member of regional and international organization including Forum-Asia (as one of the founding member),Asian Alliance against Torture(A3T , as one of the founding member).
About The APT
APT is a Swiss organisation based in Geneva with more than 40 years of experience in collaborating and accompanying government agencies, national human rights institutions, national preventive mechanisms, authorities and civil society organisations globally in their efforts to prevent torture. The APT has been cooperating with different partners in Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand over the last 10 years, particularly in national advocacy for UNCAT and OPCAT ratification and implementation, educating and raising awareness of different groups and communities on the importance of torture prevention.
The European Union funds the project “Reducing risky practices leading to torture and ill-treatment in police custody in Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand”. However, the content of the website and cartoon competition is the sole responsibility of the APT and SUARAM and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.