Commemorating Hat Yai Peace Accord 30 years later

A day before the 30th anniversary of the Hat Yai Peace Accord, a group of former members of the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) organised a gathering in Malaysia to commemorate the signing of the treaty.

The CPM had signed the peace accord with the government of Malaysia in Hat Yai, Thailand on Dec 2, 1989 which saw the end of its 21 years of armed struggle.

The gathering, held in Kajang today, saw about 300 people in attendance, mostly elderly folks.

Those in attendance included Sungai Pelek assemblyperson Ronnie Liu, PKR veteran Syed Husin Ali, PSM's Dr Michael Jeyakumar and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia professor Abdul Rahman Embong, among others.

The ceremony, which started around 10.15am, saw speeches from several former CPM members as well as Liu and Michael.

Former CPM member Tan Yi Yu said the purpose of organising this event is not only to commemorate their history.

"It is also to restore the truth which has been distorted and correct the wrong perception of the public to our history.

"The struggle of CPM is a war that is anti-colonial and anti-imperialism, which fought for the country's independence, democracy, freedom and peace," he said.

Fellow ex-CPM member Indrajaya Abdullah who is residing in Thailand said he is very grateful to the Thai government who has followed the peace accord.

He said for these 30 years, they have built their home in Thailand and have integrated fully into the Thai community.

Meanwhile, Liu had stressed that he was attending the event in his personal capacity and in his speech, he related the story of his grandfather and brother who were involved in the communist movement.

He said his grandfather had been involved in the movement to free Malaya from the British after the Japanese were driven out.

For his involvement, Liu said his grandfather had been banished to China.

"I am worried that my words here today will cause some to paint me as a communist or communist sympathiser, but I still feel called to speak here today," he said.

There were a couple of dance and music performances to round off the gathering, which ended around 12.30pm.

This commemoration comes after it was revealed last Tuesday that the former secretary-general of CPM Chin Peng's ashes had been returned to Malaysia by a group in September.

This had sparked outcry by certain quarters who criticised the action.

Chin Peng, whose real name is Ong Boon Hua, was the secretary-general of CPM until it laid down its arms in 1989. He died in Thailand in 2013.

Former inspector-general of police Abdul Rahim Noor, who was directly involved in the peace accord then, as the chief of the police Special Branch, had defended the return of the ashes as he said CPM is no longer a threat.

He also said the terms of the peace treaty also allowed all CPM leaders to return to Malaysia, including Chin Peng.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had also pointed out that other CPM leaders had returned to Malaysia without a fuss, and other oppressors such as the Japanese occupation were also forgotten.

There will be another commemoration event for the peace accord in Hat Yai tomorrow. - Mkini