Obama In Malaysia: What The US President Said About Not Meeting Anwar Ibrahim
US President Barack Obama has defended his decision not to meet Malaysia's jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim during his trip to Kuala Lumpur.
By Sadho Ram — 27 Apr 2014, 05:20 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
Obama Has Defended His Decision Not To Meet Jailed Opposition Leader Anwar During His Trip To KL
U.S. President Barack Obama said Sunday that he would continue to encourage Malaysia to make progress on human rights issues, adding that his decision not to meet with the chief opposition leader in this Southeast Asian country didn't indicate a lack of concern.
wsj.comThe president held talks with Prime Minister Najib Razak in a two-night stay aimed at continuing to transform relations with Malaysia, but will be leaving a meeting with the fiery opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to his national security adviser, Susan Rice.
Obama Was Asked During A News Conference With Najib Why He Had Not Made Any Comment About Anwar's Case
He said: "The fact that I haven't met with Mr Anwar is not indicative of a lack of concern." Instead, he stressed that both the US and Malaysia still had work to do on civil liberties and political reform.
"There are a lot of people I don't meet with," Mr. Obama said at a joint news conference with Mr. Najib. "That doesn't mean that I'm not concerned about them."
wsj.comObama Has Refused Calls To Meet With Anwar, Who Is Appealing A Conviction For Violating Malaysia's Laws Against Sodomy In A Case That He Has Said Is Politically Motivated To Constrain His Growing Influence
Mr. Anwar led an alliance last year that gave the governing coalition its strongest election challenge since the country gained independence in 1957. As the president's visit to Malaysia approached, he faced calls from Human Rights Watch and others to publicly criticize curbs on free speech and religious freedom.
nydailynews.comEconomic and social reforms have slowed as Mr. Najib has tried to shore up his political base among the country's ethnic Malay Muslim majority.
wsj.comObama Said That Human Rights Were On The Agenda During His Meetings Sunday With Malaysian Officials And That He Made US Values Clear
"The prime minister is the first to acknowledge he still has some work to do," Mr. Obama said, adding that the U.S. does as well.
Obama has said that his two-night stay is a chance to continue to transform the U.S. relationship with Malaysia, a leading country in Southeast Asia that has been reeling from the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 nearly two months ago. Obama's visit aims to focus on trade, defense and maritime security.
wsj.comMeanwhile, Najib, Speaking At The Same Press Conferesnce, Defended The Government's Track Record On Civil Liberties
He said that it had repealed a law which allowed detention without trial andeased rules on public assembly, a major reform that he said shouldn't be underestimated or diminished. Najib said that the case against Mr. Anwar was a legal matter and that the government wasn't interfering.
wsj.comObama Also Expressed His Deepest Condolences To The Families Who Had Lost Loved Ones On MH370, Adding That The US Would Continue To Work Closely With Its Malaysian Partners To Provide Support
Obama said he discussed with Mr. Najib lessons learned from this tragedy and how nations might improve moving forward. "I can't speak for all the countries in the region but I can say that the United States and other partners have found the Malaysian government eager for assistance and fully forthcoming with us in terms of the information that they have," Mr. Obama said.