BRITISH lawyers and Malaysian politicians have renewed calls for the UK government to formally apologise for the killing of 24 Chinese villagers by British soldiers in 1948, an incident known as the Batang Kali Massacre.
Speaking at a commemoration marking the 76th anniversary of the massacre, John Halford, a British public law specialist, emphasised the moral imperative for an apology.
“Sometimes, the demand of morality can be stronger than those of law,” he said.
Halford pointed to precedents where governments have acknowledged past atrocities without legal obligation, citing British Prime Minister David Cameron’s apology in 2010 for the Bloody Sunday massacre in Ireland.
King’s Counsel Danny Friedman underscored Britain’s legal responsibility for the actions of its army in 1948.
“For Britain to do something about the massacre at Batang Kali would be historically important, but also legally important,” he noted, referencing the UN Charter and the Nuremberg Trials.
Malaysian lawyer Quek Ngee Meng revealed that the British government has accepted a memorandum calling for an acknowledgement and apology. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has promised a “substantive response” by this month, reports FMT.
MCA secretary-general Chong Sin Woon urged the UK to declassify records related to the massacre and for Malaysia to include it in the national history syllabus.
DAP veteran Tan Kok Wai said an apology would help affected families move on from their traumatic past.
The UK Supreme Court previously ruled that the government was legally responsible for the soldiers’ actions but dismissed calls for a public inquiry.
The European Court of Human Rights later ruled it had no jurisdiction over the case. Despite these legal setbacks, advocates continue to press for recognition and redress.
-BTS Media
