A GROUP of student activists launched a petition to pressure the government to accede to the Rome Statute. They are the same bunch who leaked the executive summary of a paper by four academics against the international treaty.

The petition found at Change.org and titled Rome Statute: Justice for the Victims of MH17 had garnered more than 2,800 signatures at press time.

The petition was started on April 6, a day after Putrajaya announced its decision to withdraw from ratifying the Rome Statute, and aims to gather 10,000 signatures.

The group of students urged the Conference of Rulers and any other parties who are against the ratification not to stand on the government’s way.

“We, a group of nine young Malaysians, are seeking and urging fellow Malaysians to join us in this fight for justice for the victims of MH17 before more lives are lost and violated,” said students in the petition preamble.

Questioning the lack of justice for the victims of the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which was shot down in Ukraine by Russian forces five years ago, the group said the International Criminal Court (ICC) is the only institution that could ensure that justice is served for those who perished.

“Who is going to give justice to those 298 lives which have been lost, especially against a super power like Russia?

“The answer is the ICC. Five years have past, why is the perpetrators not brought to face the ICC?

“The answer is that Malaysia is not a signatory of the Rome Statute.”

The fears that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong may be persecuted by the ICC does not hold water since Malaysia has no history of crimes against human rights and war crime, they added in the petition.

The ICC will only prosecute four major crimes – namely ethnic cleansing or genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression.

Given Malaysia’s constitutional monarchy system, the Agong is not operationally responsible for military exercises.

“The Agong acts on the advice of the prime minister and the cabinet. He does not have the power to declare war. So what is there to fear?” the students asked.

Other countries that practise constitutional monarchy such as Belgium, Cambodia, Denmark, Japan, Jordan, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Samoa, Spain, Sweden and the UK have ratified the treaty.

On that note, the group said Malaysia has no reason not to follow suit.

They added that Malaysia can also use its position as a signatory to fight for other persecuted communities who have been violated by other countries.

The nine students are Asheeq Ali Sethi Alivi, Ainina Sofia Adnan, Nurhuda Ramli, Suhail Wan Azahar, Ahmad Taqiyuddin Shahriman, Wong Yan Ke, Chong Kar Yan, Nik Azura Nik Nasron and Siti Nurizzah Mohd Tazali.

Yesterday, the group came into the limelight after leaking what was purported to be an executive summary of a briefing by four academics to the Conference of Rulers.

This was said to be the reason for Putrajaya making a U-turn from ratifying the Rome Statute. – April 8, 2019.