HUMAN Rights Day on Dec 10 turned out to be one of the darkest since World War 2 after the United States used its veto power at the United Nations Security Council to vote against a much needed ceasefire in Gaza.
With this, the US is ensuring the continuation of the collective punishment of civilians in Gaza.
At least 17,000 Palestinians have been killed and 48,000 wounded, with thousands of innocent children killed and maimed. Hospitals, mosques, churches, schools, universities, homes and critical civilian infrastructure have been indiscriminately bombed and destroyed.
Millions of civilians, mainly children, have been displaced. They are being deprived of water, food and medical assistance.
What is appalling is the manipulation of international organisations and the media to justify genocide and war crimes. The UN Security Council has been perverted by the US to protect the oppressor and not the oppressed in Gaza.
The International Criminal Court was quick to issue warrants of arrest for war crimes committed in the Ukraine war, but has dragged its feet in the investigation into war crimes in Palestine despite strong evidence.
Almost all Western mainstream media have been manipulated to spread the false narrative that Israel has a right to kill civilians in defending itself, despite the clear and unequivocal position under international law that there is no justification or excuse for genocide and war crimes.
The "right to self-defence" that has been repeated ad nauseam by the media cannot be invoked under international law for genocide or war crimes. This is clear and unambiguous.
This is also the harassment, punishment and censorship of those who oppose genocide, ethnic cleaning, apartheid and war crimes.
There have been many incidents of people, even students, being punished for talking about the atrocities in Gaza.
Mainstream media and social media platforms censor and suppress posts talking about genocide, war crimes and apartheid in Gaza. Sometimes, these platforms abruptly suspend people's accounts without due process and explanation.
Harassment is worse in some Western countries, especially the US, where peaceful demonstrations or shows of support for the Palestinian cause are deemed antisemitic and supporting terrorism.
The US House of Representatives leads this harassment by equating criticism of the state of Israel and its policies as antisemitism.
Clearly, the intent is to suppress news about genocide and war crimes in Gaza and create fear and hatred of those advocating human rights for the Palestinians.
LUKMAN SHERIFF ALIAS
Chairman, Malaysian Alliance of Civil Society Organisations in the UPR Process (MACSA)