In Protest, Clinton Downgrades Visit to Malaysia : U.S. 'Horrified' About Anwar 
International Herald Tribune
October 15, 1998
Michael Richardson 

The United States intensified its criticism of Malaysia on Wednesday over the treatment of the dismissed deputy prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim.

A senior U.S. official said it was "horrifying" that "one of the most respected of Asia's new generation of leaders" had apparently been beaten in detention and denied access to his lawyers and family.

The official, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, Stanley Roth, also made it clear that President Bill Clinton's trip to Malaysia next month to attend the annual summit meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum was being given unofficial status by the White House as a gesture of top-level concern.

"It's not a state or official visit," Mr. Roth said at an international conference attended by hundreds of business executives, officials and economists. "It's participation in a regional event."

He said that APEC, which includes the United States, Japan, China and most East Asian countries among its 18 members, was "a regional organization to which we attach tremendous importance."

In an interview, Mr. Roth said that generally a visit of this kind would be official.

Shortly before speaking at the conference, Mr. Roth said that the United States was "deeply worried" about the "horrifying treatment" of Mr. Anwar, who was dismissed by the prime minister, Mahathir bin Mohamad, last month and charged with sodomy and corruption.

Mr. Anwar, who appeared in court with bruises on his face and neck, alleged that he had been blindfolded and beaten unconscious after being detained by police under Malaysia's draconian Internal Security Act, which allows indefinite detention without trail.

Following strong protests from inside and outside Malaysia, Mr. Anwar was moved to a regular prison Wednesday after 24 days of solitary confinement in police headquarters, The Associated Press reported from Kuala Lumpur.

He was driven in a car crammed with police officers and flanked by outriders, witnesses said. He wore a neck brace that was prescribed by doctors after his injuries in detention, but smiled and gave a thumbs-up sign to reporters and photographers.

The end of Mr. Anwar's detention under the security law and his transfer to a prison 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of the Malaysian capital came as the president of the Philippines, Joseph Estrada, said that he and the president of Indonesia, B.J. Habibie, were considering writing a joint letter to Mr. Mahathir urging him to hold Mr. Anwar under house arrest instead of in prison during his trial.

The move by the two fellow members of the Association of South East Asian Nation followed talks Tuesday between Mr. Estrada and Mr. Habibie on the Indonesian island of Batam, near Singapore.

They discussed the political situation in Malaysia and whether to attend the APEC meeting.

Officials said that both presidents, who are personal friends of Mr. Anwar's, were likely to go to Kuala Lumpur because of the importance of APEC, although Mr. Habibie recently canceled a visit to Malaysia this month, citing the pressure of work at home.

Describing Mr. Anwar as an honest, dedicated and intelligent public servant, Mr. Estrada said that the former deputy prime minister and finance minister "should not be treated like a common criminal."

Mr. Anwar was detained for allegedly inciting followers to riot and topple Mr. Mahathir, who has been in power for 17 years.

Mr. Mahathir said when dismissing his heir apparent that Mr. Anwar was morally unfit to lead Malaysia.

Mr. Anwar's trial on 10 counts of sodomy and corruption is due to begin Nov. 2, barely a fortnight before APEC heads of government start their annual meeting.

Lawyers for Mr. Anwar said Wednesday that the transfer to a regular prison could open the way for a successful appeal against a decision that had denied him bail.

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