Dear Friends
We are forwarding you the following Urgent Appeal from Suaram, a highly respected human rights organisation in Malaysia.
Yesterday, July 15th – marked 100 days since the government of Malaysia started arresting those perceived to be their political opponents under the infamous Internal Security Act.
In the last 100 days, 12 persons have been arrested, two of whom have been released by the police after signing secret statements, and two others released by the Shah Alam High Court by Justice Mohd. Hishamuddin Moh. Yunus, who ruled that the detentions were unlawful, unjustified and in contravention of the constitutional rights of the detainees. The latest victims of the ISA were two students arrested on 5-6 July for allegedly inciting students to demonstrate militantly against the government. They are labelled ‘subversive’ for exercising this democratic right, and are being held incommunicado without access to legal representation, a situation where torture is highly likely to be used to force them to sign incriminating statements.
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the rise to powere of Prime Minister Mahatir, who has become increasingly autocratic in his rule. True to this trend, he has marked his anniversary with the arrest of 41 people protesting the 100 days of detention of the latest group of political prisoners. Please read Suaram’s appeal and act appropriately. Don’t forget you can still sign AHRC’s on-line petition until 20th of August at:
http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/malaysia/isa/petition.htm
Thank you for your action,
Urgent Appeals Desk
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Urgent Appeal: 16 July 2001
41 Arrested During 100th day of ISA arrests
KONVOI PERDANA, organised to commemorate 100 days of the detention of political and reform activists under the draconian Internal Security Act (1960), was brought to an abrupt end at about 3.10 pm on 15 July 2001 when police moved in with water cannons, forcing the large crowd gathered outside the Kamunting detention camp to disperse, resulting in 41 persons being arrested.
More than 1500 people gathered outside the detention camp yesterday afternoon, in a show of solidarity with family members of the six activists, who had made their weekly trip to visit their loved ones, who have been detained without trial for two years. Hundreds of cars had made their way to this small town at the foot of Maxwell Hills, coming from Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Penang and Kedah.
The 41 persons arrested are now being held at the Taiping police station. Among them are 10 women and 31 men. Aliza Jaafar, the wife of ISA detainee Hj. Saari Sungib, is also among those arrested. She was able to meet with her husband for a visit prior to her arrest. Three persons among those arrested are teenagers, aged 14, 15 and 16 respectively.
The names of those deatined are as follows:
Mohd Zariddin
Sulaiman bin. Meor Abdul Rahman
Ahmad Sazli bin. Saad
Zuraini bte Abdullah (woman)
Keh Sue Yek
Rosdi bin Mohd
Osman bin Mohd
Azmi bin Hashim
Norlela bte Baharin (woman)
Rahman bte Yatin (woman)
Mohd Zarin Khairy bin Zainuddin
Mohd Zainur bin Osman
Aliza bte Jaafar (woman)
Normah bte Che Mat (woman)
Siti aminah bte Mat (woman)
Ahmad Tarmizi bin Abdullah
Seok Loy
Kassim bin Yahya
Abdul Majid bin Ahmad
Redzuan bin Abdul Samad
Baharuddin bin Abdullah
Mior Johor bin Mior Abu Bakar
Mat Zahudi bin Mohd Nor
Saharuddin bin Razak
Tajul Arifin bin Mohd Yusof
Mohd Saifianuddin bin Mohd salleh
Mohd Akhir bin Arifin
Zul Helmi bin Yahya
Mohd Azam bin Mekhtar
Mohd Lokman bin Mohd Ali
Noraini bte Mokhtar (woman)
Norashikin bte Baharin (14 years old)
Ahmad Shahrani bin Che Azmi
Abdul Rahman bin Mohd Nor (16 years old)
Atipah bte Uri (woman)
Mohd Kamis bin Abdullah
Mohd Jallaludin bin Mohd Taib
Mamor bin Yahaya
Mohd Shuib bin Ismail
Abdul Ghani bin abu Yamin
Rohaida Ayu bte Arifin (15 years old)
It is believed that the 41 persons have been arrested for illegal assembly, and will be brought before a magistrate within 24 hours. The reasons for their arrest could not be confirmed according to a Suaram personnel who was in Kamunting.
There were also eye-witness accounts of people being beaten with batons and dragged away into police trucks, during the commotion.
Suaram strongly protests the high handed actions of the police and demands the immediate release of all those detained. It is shameful that a peaceful gathering carried out in solidarity with those detained was met with brute force and arrests of innocent Malaysians.
FREE ALL 41 DETAINED FOR EXERCISING THEIR RIGHTS TO PEACEFULLY ASSEMBLE!
ABOLISH THE ISA!
FREE ALL ISA DETAINEES!
Action Required
– Demand for the immediate release of all those detained
– Express gravest concern over their well-being
– Drop all charges against the detainees as they were only exercising their basic rights to freedom of assembly
– Call on the Malaysian Human Rights Commission to intervene and restore democracy and human rights.
Letters Can Be Addressed:
Datuk Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Minister of Home Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister
Ministry of Home Affairs (Menteri Dalam Negeri)
Aras 13, Blok D1
Parcel D, Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan
65202 Putrajaya, Selangor
Malaysia
Fax: + 60 3 8886 8014
E-mail: tpm@smpke.jpm.my
Inspector General of Police
Tan Sri Norian Mai
Headquarters of Royal Police of Malaysia
Bukit Aman
50560 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Fax: +603 22731326
Ybhg Tan Sri Musa Hitam
Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission,
29th. Floor, Menara Tun Razak,
Jalan Raja Laut,
50350 Kuala Lumpur.
Fax- 603-26125620
Tel-603-26125600
email: humanrights@humanrights.com.my
Kofi Annan
Secretary-General,
United Nations Room S-3800,
New York NY 10017
Fax: 1-212-963 4879/2155
Email : ecu@un.org
Mrs. Mary Robinson
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Palais des nations
8-14 avenue de la Paix,
CH 1211 Geneve,
Switzerland
Fax : (41) 229170213
Email: webadmin.hchr@unog.ch
(Please cc. a copy of your letter to the above authorities to SUARAM at wkpeng@pc.jaring.my if possible, for documentation purposes.)
