It is suspicious that DeVore and his former communications director both have an unhealthy relationship with the truth in matters relating to Malaysia. It would not surprise me if the staffer wrote the piece. But DeVore claims sole responsibility. But it is a topic in which they have both decided to disagree with the historical record. It is DeVore's credibility, not mine, that is damaged when he endorses one government that behaves in an authoritarian manner (dismissing the violation of fundamental freedoms as "blemishes" and "imperfections") while attacking China for doing precisely the same things. That is called lacking integrity and lacking principles. I have no basis to judge if this behavior goes back to 1985.

As for DeVore's including a request for money in his threatening private nast-o-grams, beyond the irony, his analogy doesn't work: I am now a full time volunteer. Whereas the tax payer and Republican supporters pay for his salary and expenses while he supports the Najib government online, I expose his support of human rights violators for free.

Chuck DeVore insists he is the one responsible for the article that includes inaccurate information about Malaysia, a defense of the human rights-violating government of Najib, and slanderous accusations against Anwar Ibrahim. He considers it "scurrilous" that I suggested that the article was perhaps written by his former communication director, campaign "volunteer," and friend. Given the errors in the article it is interesting that DeVore considers this an offensive suggestion.

DeVore notes with "icy interest" that I do not have a position on the corruption charges leveled against Anwar Ibrahim. That is because the charges leveled at Anwar Ibrahim have as their objective the fraudulent removal of Anwar Ibrahim from the Malaysian political arena. My purpose in responding to DeVore's rosy portrayal of the Najib government is to alert Big Peace readers about the danger to democracy posed by Najib's government--an example of that is Najib's treatment of political adversaries.

Through the silencing of opposition voices, vote-shopping, and gerrymandering, the UMNO-led government is able to continue its autocratic rule while calling Malaysia a democracy. And Najib seeks to perpetuate this charade by clamping down on Malaysian youth. Through the University and University College Act, students are forbidden from having any involvement in politics. Chuck DeVore considers these "blemishes" and that there is a "distance yet to travel." How is it that he believes these sorts of things are terrible in China but not in Malaysia?

Malaysia has none of the hallmarks of a liberal democracy with rule of law, due process, freedom fo speech, freedom from arbitrary arrest, freedom from torture, and freedom to participate in the political life of the country and seek redress of grievances.

For instance, and decried by human rights groups across the world, Najib, uses the Internal Security Act - to indefinitely and arbitrarily imprison any Malaysian without trial or even evidence. Dozens of politicians, journalists, and student leaders have been arrested and intimidated using the ISA. Virtually all positions in the justice system beyond the local level are held by government cronies. Feel like denouncing this inside Malaysia? The Printing Presses and Publications Act gives Najib near-absolute control over the news as media organizations need the government's permission to operate. Almost all major national newspapers, magazines, television channels, and radio stations in Malaysia are tied to the ruling UMNO party. DeVore calls that a democracy that would be "destroyed" by Anwar Ibrahim's party.

Exposed as being flat-out wrong and inconsistent he now grasps at straws and googles up anything he can find to "prove" his point. If he wasn't cherry-picking information he would have noticed that one needn't look at an 8-year ranking of Freedom House. Just look at one of their recent press releases on Malaysia: they lump Malaysia in with Angola, Libya, and Qatar as countries that should be blocked from the U.N. Human Rights Council for being "notorious human rights abusers." DeVore should remember the adage: "when you're in a hole, stop digging."

DeVore boils everything down to this: He is under the mistaken assumption that I support Anwar Ibrahim's political party. I categorically support their right to participate in the political process and to be free from individual rights violations that are carried out against them and their party leader (violations that even DeVore reluctantly acknowledges). If Anwar Ibrahim or his party ever succeeded in becoming a government in Malaysia I would hold them to the same standard that I hold Najib. DeVore's lack of consistency only calls into question all of his previous criticisms of human rights violators.

Since I responded to Chuck Devore's posts he has twice privately emailed me. The first time to inform me that I am "very unwise," "very foolish," and have "attracted an opponent" and his second missive ends with the ominous "I won't forget." Amazingly, beneath the email he includes a link where I can contribute to his political campaign coffers. I suggest to the former U.S. Senate hopeful that he respond here, on Big Peace, rather than continue to badger me via email (to intimidate or to solicit for political campaign contributions).

Thor Halvorssen

Chuck DeVore spends two paragraphs listing his credentials, as if these credentials excuse the fact that he is defending the indefensible: the government of Malaysia.

DeVore says that press freedoms and the rule of law have improved under the ruling party which he states is better than "its predecessors and current rivals." Did DeVore miss that, since independence, Malaysia has only been ruled by the UMNO: Mr. Najib's party? Further, does he not realize that press freedoms actually *worsen* not "improve" when newspapers are shut down. Does he not realize that rule of law is actually weakened when the judiciary is used to persecute political opponents? These things he calls "blemishes" and "imperfections." It is sad that a politician considers these matters--the denial of individual rights--to be blemishes.

Chuck DeVore is quick at using google. Perhaps he clicked on the links for the Wall Street Journal editorial article about Anwar written by Ambassador John Malott (click here: http://tinyurl.com/freeanwar ), or perhaps he clicked on my own take on Anwar Ibrahim's trial (here: http://tinyurl.com/HuffPoAnwar). He can consider both of these a defense of individual rights, due process, and rule of law in the farcical trial of Anwar Ibrahim. DeVore ignores the miscarriage of justice and instead piles on siding with those whose behavior is not unlike that of Hugo Chavez or even the Chinese government DeVore condemns.

I made no comment regarding the International Institute for Islamic Thought because I know nothing about its work or activities. However, given DeVore's track record on the politics and history of Malaysia perhaps others should chime in on the IIIT so as to inform Big Peace readers.

With regard to the laughable notion that Anwar Ibrahim *paid* to be present at the Oslo Freedom Forum this would be somewhat difficult given that he has been bankrupted by the government Chuck DeVore endorses in his article. But I appreciate the plug: <a href="http://www.OsloFreedomForum.com" target="_blank">www.OsloFreedomForum.com where Lech Walesa, Elie Wiesel, Vaclav Havel, Harry Wu, Rebiya Kadeer, Garry Kasparov, and numerous others came to share their experiences with totalitarianism. Anwar Ibrahim was remarkable in his exposition of the issues affecting Malaysia. Perhaps Chuck DeVore and his friend, former communications director and campaign volunteer Joshua Treviño should watch the speech rather than continue to do the bidding of the Najib government. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzVTR2-2N1c

And BTW, I appreciate your acknowledging the necessity of working on ending suffering in the Laogai camps of China and applaud you for your work on the same. If only you applied the same standard to the government of Malaysia that you apply to the government of China.

Thor Halvorssen

It is odd that Chuck DeVore seems to have such strong views on Anwar Ibrahim and Malaysia. Perhaps it is because he didn't write the article published above. It was most likely written by his former "communications director," Joshua S. Treviño who also served his campaign for U.S. Senate as a "volunteer" while being on his payroll.

This article contains demonstrable errors and omissions that counts on the ignorance of Big Peace readers. Nowhere in this article do Chuck Devore or the man who has often written his speeches and articles point out that the current government of Malaysia has near-absolute control over Malaysian media: almost all major national newspapers, magazines, television channels, and radio stations there are tied to the ruling UMNO party--who has in Anwar its strongest critic. And Prime Minister Najib continues to tighten his grip in the face of Anwar's trial. Suara Keadilan, the publication of Anwar's PKR party had its permit to operate revoked on July 1. Why is none of this fishy to Chuck DeVore?

Another blatant instance: the article states that the IIT has called Israel a "foreign usurper." True and strong enough. But why wouldn't this article state that Prime Minister Najib, whom DeVore endorses here, called Israelis "Zionist terrorists?" Najib's comments about "jews" "jewry" and "zionists" should frighten anyone let alone someone who stood as a hopeful for the United States Senate and who serves in the California State Assembly.

A keen observer of Malaysian affairs is former U.S. Ambassador John R. Malott who has taken issue, publicly, with Chuck DeVore's staffer on the HuffingtonPost and written an excellent Wall Street Journal editorial page column on Anwar's trial: http://tinyurl.com/freeanwar

Assuming that DeVore's article was written or even edited by his former communications director. One crucial question that Joshua S. Treviño has refused to answer is: has he been compensated for writing about Anwar Ibrahim or about Malaysia? He runs his own PR firm... is the Malaysian dictatorship a client? Perhaps the editors of Big Peace should find out.

Thor Halvorssen
Human Rights Foundation
New York, NY

Ps. I do NOT get paid to write about Anwar, about DeVore and Treviño, or about Malaysia. My own HuffPo column on the subject is here: http://tinyurl.com/HuffPoAnwar

Congratulations Sara Anne! Terrific article. Bulls-eye!