2023-05-23 19:33:56
The human rights NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) criticized the Malaysian Interior Ministry on Tuesday for ordering the confiscation of a collection of watches decorated with the LGBT rainbow in several Swatch brand stores.
The deputy director of HRW in Asia, Phil Robertson, affirmed that the confiscation of the watches is due to the discrimination policy of the Malaysian government against the LGBT community, which he described as “gross violation of human rights”.
As reported by The Edge newspaper on Monday, the Police seized the watches from the Swatch Pride Collection on May 13 and 14 in different stores in Kuala Lumpur and other Malaysian cities.
The CEO of the British group, Nick Hayek, criticized the measure and affirmed that the watches with the rainbow are a symbol of “peace and love” that seeks to convey a message of “joy for life”.
The company said it is trying to get the authorities to return the confiscated watches..
The Malaysian NGO Jejaka, which works in favor of LGBT rights, questioned the legality of the confiscation carried out by the Police and expressed its dismay at what happened.
“The actions taken against the Swatch Pride Collection reveal a worrying level of intolerance. It’s not about colorful watches; it’s about respect for diversity, freedom of expression and, most importantly, love“said Dhia Rezki Rohaizad, president of Jejaka, in a statement released on Monday.
Any type of expression of the LGBT community is controversial in Malaysia, where more than 60 percent of its 34 million inhabitants are Muslims, while the rest profess Buddhism (19 percent), Christianity (9 percent) and Hinduism. (6 percent), among other religions.
Last September, transgender businesswoman Nur Sajat, the owner of a cosmetics brand, fled Malaysia after being accused of violating Islamic law and, after being temporarily held in Thailand, was finally welcomed in Australia.
The movies “Beauty and the Beast” (2017) y “Thor: Love and Thunder” (2022) were removed from Malaysia for having scenes with LGBT references.
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