The Malaysian Government is continuing to imprison women for participating in international feminist and trade union activities. The charges against Cecilia Ng, Lim Chin Chin, Patricia Irene Xavier and Chen Hen Leng include the fact that they set up women's groups such as Friends of Women, gave talks on "The Role of Women in Malaysia," and were in touch with other women's groups such as GABRIELA of the Philippines. They are also accused of participating in theatre workshops of the Philippine Educational Theatre Association (PETA) and many other informal education groups.
Cheng Hcng Leng, arrested on October 27,1987 was accused of conducting communist indoctrination and conscientisation activities among factory workers and estate labourers in Selangur Darul Ehsan and Wilayah Persexutuan, Kuala Lumpur. The detention order mentions also her representing the Institut Analisa Social (INSA) at an International Conference entitled "Asian Ecumenical Youth Conference" in Mindanao, Philippines, was an opportunity for her to enter in depth into the methods of struggle of the Communist Party of the Philippines with hopes of implementing them in Malaysia.
She was accused, too, of being involved in sponsoring several drama workshops 16 in Malaysia co-sponsored by the PET A, a drama body, according to the accusers, controlled by the Communist Party of the Philippines, where ways of spreading communist understanding through drama were discussed. Her active participation in several demonstrations regarding current issues in Malaysia such as rape, squatter problems, mass retrenchment of workers by factories and radioactive waste dumping in Papan were among those crimes she had committed.
Irene Xavier was accused of spreading communist influence and ideology in specific groups in Malaysia after leaving her teaching post. Like Chee Heng Leng, she was accused of putting up Friends of Women as a centre for "conscientisation" activities and communist indoctrination especially among estate and factory workers. She was held responsible for the selecting and sending sbc pro-communist trade union leaders to Manila, Philippines, to take part in various activities organised by the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU).
Her attendance in the "May Day Rally" in Manila organised by the KMU was interpreted as her studying the methods of uniting trade unions in accordance with the concepts and strategies of communist struggle.
Likewise, Cecilia Ng's arrest fell on the same categories as mentioned above. Her associations with PETA, GABRIELA, KMU and her participation in a seminar initiated by the Asian Bishops Conference were the reasons for her detention.
These women activists are all concerned intellectuals with who have unselfishly made some personal sacrifices on behalf of various socially disadvantaged groups that were mentioned in our last three issues of Women in Action. By omission, the charges implicitly concede that the detainees were not in touch, let alone working with any illegal organisations said to be threatening the national interest.
Constant pressure on the authorities will finally win their cause. Please write asking for their early and unconditional release to:
Dr. Mahathir Mohammad The Prime Minister Jalan Dato Onn Kuala Lumpur 5048840 Malaysia