Human Rights and the Law: Time for the truth on May 13

Thursday, 03 July 2008
©The Sun (Used by permission)
by Ong Lee Fong

AN article entitled “It need not remain a black day” which appeared in the Sunday Star (May 11) called for the establishment of a truth commission on May 13.

There should only be a rational acceptance of the events of May 13, 1969 upon full and frank disclosure of every detail of what had happened on that tragic day. We are living to remember and not to forget. The blood of the defenceless; the bitterness of the survivors are unforgettable.

Closure can be achieved, but history should not be distorted. The truth of what catalysed the incident must be properly and accurately presented and disseminated to all Malaysians and to the world at large. Most essentially, disclosure ought to be done for the memory of the victims of May 13.

The government should set Time for the truth on May 13 up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission on the May 13 riots to call for uncensored and definitive accounts from eye-witnesses of that fateful day.

Proper protection should be accorded to witnesses to ensure that they are not afraid to tell the truth or are pressured to stay silent. Time is not on our side.

The number of people who know of and can convey personal accounts of what transpired before and during that day is fast dwindling. Most Malaysians were not even alive when the incident occurred.

A Truth and Reconciliation Commission could debunk the various myths surrounding the tragedy and put on record definitively as to what caused the racial riots and what exactly happened. This day should not be totally wiped out from the records of our history, neither should it be improperly written.

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