The Teoh Beng Hock Association for Democratic Advancement is deeply saddened by the passing of peace and anti-nuclear advocate Dr Ronald McCoy at the age of 96.
We will always remember Dr McCoy for the important support he gave to the pursuit of truth and justice for Teoh Beng Hock.
In 2011, the Malaysian government established a royal commission of inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding Beng Hock’s death and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s investigative procedures.
At the time, Beng Hock’s family and civil society had serious concerns about the independence and credibility of the commission. More than 100 civil society organisations recommended Dr McCoy and six other individuals with strong professional and human rights credentials to serve on the royal commission.
Malaysians for Beng Hock later established an royal commission ‘watch panel’ to scrutinise the commission’s proceedings and hearings. Dr McCoy was a member of the panel, alongside civil society figures including Ambiga Sreenevasan, Toh Kin Woon and Wong Chin Huat. Together, they monitored the inquiry and spoke out about concerns arising from the process.
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Dr McCoy also publicly raised concerns about deaths in custody. Referring to the deaths of Beng Hock and A Kugan, he warned that such cases were creating a deeply troubling perception: that once a person was taken into custody by the authorities, there was no guarantee that their life would be protected.
Beyond his support for justice for Beng Hock, Dr McCoy devoted much of his life to the cause of peace and nuclear disarmament.
He was one of the founders of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), which was formally launched in 2007 and grew into a global movement for nuclear disarmament. ICAN became a major force behind the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017.
From campaigning for the abolition of nuclear weapons to speaking out over deaths in custody such as Beng Hock’s, Dr McCoy consistently stood up for life, safety and fundamental human rights.
Throughout the long struggle for justice for Beng Hock, we are grateful that Dr McCoy chose to stand with the Teoh family and civil society in demanding truth and accountability. His passing is a great loss to Malaysian civil society.
We extend our deepest condolences to Dr McCoy’s family and loved ones.
Thank you, Dr McCoy, for standing up for Beng Hock. Rest in peace. – Teoh Beng Hock Association for Democratic Advancement
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