On November 9 in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, a peaceful conference discussing "Peace in East Timor" was attacked by a hundred thugs from the ruling National Front political parties. They smashed down the door to the function room and threatened and jostled the conference participants. One participant reported hearing a shout as the door was smashed in: "Smash the door, otherwise the police won't have an excuse to intervene". Another eyewitness reported that one of the thugs later returned to the venue after the police arrived, himself wearing a police badge.
All of the Malaysian participants were arrested. Twenty women participants were kept in crowded prison cells for more than 24 hours. Twenty-eight male participants were kept in prison for four nights and another 10 for five nights. The Malaysian High Court later reprimanded the magistrate who gave police permission to keep the participants in jail. Malaysian activists conducted a vigil outside the prison until everybody was released.
At the same time, about 50 non-Malaysians were detained and deported, including eight Indonesians, six of whom were deported to Indonesia against their will.
These repressive actions were sanctioned by both Prime Minister John Howard and "opposition" leader Kim Beazley. Howard said: "When you are in another country, if you are told that something is not permitted, well you have to take notice of that or expect certain consequences". Like, for example, being attacked by organised political thugs. Newspapers quoted Howard as saying, "While not necessarily sanctioning what had happened, the Australian government has to respect the right of other countries to conduct their affairs in the way they see fit".
In Jakarta, Beazley told a meeting of the Australia Indonesia Business Council, the most important constituency for both parties in this area of foreign affairs, that he had "no problem" with the Malaysian government deporting the foreign participants. Governments, he said, have the right to determine what is said in their country.
Both Howard and Beazley have exposed once again the shallowness of their commitment to democratic principles. The concept that "governments have the right to determine what is said" is a thoroughly anti-democratic concept. If they appeal that they are referring only to foreigners in Malaysia, they are adopting the equally anti-democratic idea that only governments have the right to invite people from other countries to join in discussions on legitimate political questions. It is totally unacceptable that people's organisations may invite people to come to their country only if those people are approved of by the government of the day.
In Indonesia and Malaysia, where contracts and investment opportunities are so dependent on "good relations" with the current rulers, "good relations" means suppression of the democratic opposition. In this respect, the current governments of Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia as well as the Australian so-called "opposition" are motivated by the same priority: profits for business first, democratic rights last.