[PRESS RELEASE]
A three-dimensional (3D) artwork will be showcased at UG Blue Zone, Publika Shopping Gallery, Solaris Dutamas on the 8 and 9 July from 10am to 10pm. The exhibition is part of Amnesty International’s #IWelcome campaign launched in October 2016 that highlights the global refugee crisis as well as the shrinking of living spaces and sharing the responsibility for refugees worldwide.
“The exhibition will also be an opportunity for the public to learn more about the plight of refugees, especially those fleeing Syria. Those moved will also be able to support the refugee cause by taking photo and other actions at the exhibition,” said Shamini Darshni Kaliemuthu, Executive Director of Amnesty International Malaysia.
The artwork was produced by artists 3D Joe and Max, who have also produced 3D anamorphic street art for Google, Vodaphone, Coca-Cola and Disney, among other big brand names.
“The artwork that we are showcasing portrays the artists’ impression of the current war-torn situation of Aleppo, a northern city of Syria that has faced extreme violence and destruction due to the ongoing Syrian conflict. It was displayed in front of the UN headquarters in New York in 2015, then Japan in 2016, Hong Kong in June 2017 and now in Malaysia.”
The exhibition will also highlight the depressing situation of South Sudanese refugees in Uganda and the forced returns of Somali refugees in Dadaab, Kenya. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ Global Trends 2016, 65.6 million individuals have been forcibly displaced worldwide with an average of 20 people being forced to flee their homes every minute of 2016.
“The Syrian conflict has created the largest refugee crisis of the 21st century. Over four million people have been displaced as refugees since hostilities in Aleppo. About 65,000 people have been reported missing after being arrested by government forces while 250,000 people have been killed according to the United Nations. Through this exhibition, we hope to stress the gravity of this issue and how everyone can play a role in helping ease the global refugee crisis through simple yet effective actions,” said Shamini.
She said that Amnesty International Malaysia also hoped to draw attention to the plight of refugees in Malaysia through the weekend exhibition.
“Malaysia is a transit country for many refugees and asylum seekers from Myanmmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Somalia, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and other countries. Many also fall prey to human trafficking syndicates. The Malaysian law makes no distinction between refugees and undocumented immigrants which increases their risk of arrest and detention by Immigration officers. Other than the ill-treatment they face at detention centres in Malaysia, these individuals are also discriminated and have seen their basic human rights stripped,” Shamini said.
To bring an end to the global refugee crisis, Amnesty International through the #IWelcome global campaign is calling on states to:
- Increase the number of resettlement places.
- Open up safer and legal routes for refugees.
- Develop a mechanism to share the responsibility of refugees.
- Guarantee full, flexible and predictable funding for refugee protection and meaningful financial support to countries hosting large number of refugees.
- Protect the rights of refugees.
Visitors are encouraged to take pictures with the artwork to express how they feel about the Syrian refugee crisis and post them on social media with the hashtags #IWelcome and #amnestymy to show their support and solidarity for the campaign.
For more information about the event and the work done by Amnesty International Malaysia, visit our website at www.aimalaysia.org or our Facebook and Twitter page (@AmnestyMy), and Instagram profile (@amnesty_my).
For more information about the I Welcome campaign, visit www.amnesty.org
[END]