M Kula Segaran of the The Democratic Action Party in Malaysia says the conviction of activist Lena Hendry does not make sense especially at a time when information is easily accessible.

Hendry, the programme manager for Pusat Komas was found guilty by the Magistrate’s Court earlier this week for screening a documentary on the atrocities committed during the Sri Lankan civil war, without the approval of the Censorship Board.

In a statement today, the DAP’s national vice-chairman and MP for Ipoh Barat said, “The conviction of Lena Hendry does not make sense in a world of information where atrocities in any part of the world can be instantly accessed through various media outlets or mobile phone.”

He added, “Citizens around the world have access to all kinds of media that would make censorship of reality and truth, foolish and incomprehensible. “The pertinent fact is, Hendry does not own the documentary. Therefore the charges do not hold under Section 6 of the Film Censorship Act, unless the Government is going act against all citizens who have documentaries that show atrocities around the world, in their mobile phones, that can be easily disseminated.

Hendry was accused of screening the documentary titled “No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka” which had not been vetted or approved by the Censorship Board, at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Chamber of Commerce Hall on July 3, 2013.

-freemalaysiatoday
-Agencies