Anti-Lynas Activist Natalie Lowrey Denied Entry, Food And Water In Malaysia
New Zealander and Lynas protestor Natalie Lowrey who had brought international attention to the Lynas controversy in Malaysia has now been strictly barred from entering the country.
By Mei Mei Chu — 02 Sep 2014, 06:28 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
Natalie Lowrey, A New Zealander Who Has Been Prominently Protesting Lynas Corp Was Arrested For 6 Days In June During A Mass Protest In Kuantan
On 1 September, Lowrey Was Deported From Malaysia After Being Denied Entry Into The Country Upon Arrival At KLIA
On 1 September, Natalie Was Deported From Malaysia After Being Denied Entry Into The Country Upon Arrival.
Image via smh.com.auThe 42-year-old woman, who is also an Australian permanent resident (PR), was denied entry shortly after she arrived at KLIA2 from Sydney at about 7.55pm on Sunday.
thestar.com.myA Sydney-based New Zealand activist has been refused entry to Malaysia after being blacklisted by police, believed to be because of her involvement in protests against an Australian-owned rare earth mining company.
theguardian.com
She Was Detained By Customs Who Told Her That She Been Blacklisted By Bukit Aman
“On arrival in Malaysia, Lowrey was detained by customs who said she had been blacklisted by Bukit Aman and that she would be deported back to the country she flew in from.
themalaymailonline.com
Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zahid Hamidi confirmed that Lowrey was barred as she has been blacklisted. “The Immigration Department has denied her entry into the country as she was on the blacklist. “The department director-general will elaborate further on the matter soon,” he told a press conference yesterday.
thestar.com.myStopLynas Said In A Statement That “Lowrey Was Informed Of A Strict Denial Of Entry To Malaysia, Reasons Not Given.”
“Lowrey was informed of a strict denial of entry to Malaysia, reasons not given,” said a statement on the StopLynas website. It is believed the “customs” mentioned in the statement was referring to the Malaysian Immigration Department.
themalaymailonline.com
It added that Lowrey was en route to Bali, Indonesia and will then return to Sydney, Australia tomorrow morning.
themalaymailonline.com
Lowrey Was Returning Malaysia To Observe The Trials Of 15 Lynas Protestors Who Were Charged With Participating In An Unlawful Assembly During The 22 June Protest
Lowrey Was Returning Malaysia To Observe The Trials Of 15 Lynas Protestors Who Were Charged With Participating In An Unlawful Assembly During The 22 June Protest.
Image via stoplynas.orgNatalie Lowrey was returning to Malaysia to act as an observer to the trials of 15 Malaysians who were arrested alongside her at a 1,000-strong protest against Lynas Corporation in June at the company’s Advanced Materials Plant in Kuantan.
theguardian.com
“[The] charges against the 15 peaceful Malaysian citizens arrested with me on June 22nd must be dropped including the gag order that was part of their bail conditions. “I was released with no charge so why are they facing a trial, which if convicted, may include jail time? Lowrey was quoted as saying on the StopLynas website.
themalaymailonline.com
During The Protest, She Witnessed Ho Kam Kuat Being Abused By The Police Despite Not Showing Any Violence. Ho Is Being Charged With Using Criminal Force To Deter A Public Servant From Carrying Out Their Duty.
Ho Kam Huat showing the injuries he sustained from the beatings by the police.
Image via therakyatpost.comOne man, Ho Kam Huat, was charged with using criminal force to deter a public servant from carrying out their duty. Lowrey told Guardian Australia she witnessed Ho Kam Huat being beaten by police officers and that he was severely concussed and was hospitalised for two days.
theguardian.com
“I walked across the police line to help those being beaten by the police and witnessed a man, Ho Kam Huat, being thrown to the ground violently and kicked by at least three police in uniform and another two plain-clothed police,” Lowrey told Human Rights Watch. “At no point did I witness Ho Kam Huat throw punches or show any violence to the police.”
theguardian.com
The district police chief, assistant commissioner Abdul Aziz Salleh, told Guardian Australia in June that the man was injured after he “retaliated against police”. “In fact he was very violent. There was a lot of commotion but no serious injuries,” said Abdul Aziz.
theguardian.com
Lowrey Told The Guardian, "Possibly They've Used The Attention I've Drawn To A Major Environmental And Social Justice Issue Here, As An Example, And They Don't Want Me To Come Back."
Kiwi anti-Lynas activists Natalie Lowrey (second left) has been deported after she attempted to re-enter the country today.
Image via themalaymailonline.com“Possibly they’ve used the attention I’ve drawn to a major environmental and social justice issue here, as an example, and they don’t want me to come back,” Lowrey told Guardian Australia on Monday.
theguardian.com
“I arrived at five to eight last night, I handed my passport to immigration and the officers went away then they came back and got me and took me to a waiting room,” said Lowrey. “Eventually they told me that the Malaysian police – not immigration – had blacklisted me from Malaysia,” she said, adding that no explanation was given.
theguardian.com
“I had a couple of lawyers in [Kuala Lumpur] who were at least trying to get me deported straight to Sydney instead of via Bali.”
theguardian.com
Lowrey Was Detained For Up To 14 Hours At An Area Near The Transfer Counter. She Claimed That Her Luggage Was Withheld, She Was Denied Food And Water, And Had To Sleep On The Cold Floor.
Lowrey said her lawyer was denied access to her and she was kept overnight at an area near the transfer counter. She claimed she was denied food and water and slept on the cold floor until early this morning, when she was handed to Air Asia for her flight back to Bali.
theguardian.com
The lawyer added that during the 14 hours she was held, Lowrey was denied food and drinks and was only given water this morning at 7am. "They also withheld her luggage, and there was no warm clothing on her even though she was placed in the transfer area during the night which was freezing cold," she said in a text message.
themalaysianinsider.com
Executive director of Suaram Yap Swee Seng and chairperson of Himpunan Hijau Wong Tack confirmed this was so despite Lowrey making repeated requests to immigration officers for water.
Suaram and Himpunan Hijau said that even the consular officer of the New Zealand High Commission had intervened on Lowrey’s behalf and was told by immigration they were busy processing her deportation and that she would get water “soon”. “Obviously this is a lie as the fact was that Natalie was only given water to drink this morning,” the statement read.
Furthermore, She Was Denied Right To Legal Representation
The two NGOs also said they were appalled Lowrey was denied her right to legal representation the entire time she was detained. They cited the blatant “abuse of power, inhuman and ill-treatment of Natalie Lowrey by the immigration department” and said, “Such treatment is unjustified and unwarranted and tainted with clear intent of bad faith to punish Natalie Lowrey.”
According To StopLynas, Lynas' Two-Year Temporary Operating Licence Expires On 2 September 2014
According To StopLynas, Lynas' Two-Year Temporary Operating Licence Expires On 2 September 2014.
Image via freemalaysiatoday.comThe movement said the two-year temporary operating licence given to Australian miner Lynas Corporation, which was operating the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP), would expire tomorrow.
themalaysianinsider.com
The main concern over the rare-earth plant was contamination of the coastal environment and the adverse health impact that could result from the mismanagement of radioactive waste streams. This fear stems from the experience in the 1980s at Mitsubishi Chemical’s Asian Rare Earth plant in Bukit Merah, Ipoh, which was shut down more than two decades ago and linked to cases of leukaemia because of radioactive exposure, some of which were fatal.
themalaysianinsider.com