Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from a reliable source regarding Chinese women forced to strip naked, slapped and detained in police stations in Malaysia. Home Minister Azmi Khalid has affirmed that it is police abuse and promised that the government will take the necessary action.
In one incident, a one-minute mobile phone video clip, taken secretly and shown to the public as well as in parliament, showed a woman being forced to strip naked and then do squats in front of a policewoman. The footage appeared to be taken in the locker room of a police station. It is also believed that the incident happened last month as Ramadan prayer could be heard.
In another case, Ms. Zhen, a 35-year-old Chinese homemaker, on 3 November, was arrested and suspected of having a false passport. She was asked for money, and forced to strip naked in the police station. She was slapped and detained in a lock-up with 18 others in which there was no bed or drinking water. Only after several days was she released after the Immigration Department verified her passport.
We request your strong intervention to pressure the Malaysian government, in particular the Inspector General of Police, Mohd Bakki Omar to ensure that an impartial investigation is conducted into these cases. Appropriate action must be taken against those responsible within the police force and adequate compensation provided to the victims. The Home Minister Azmi Khalid must meet his promises and take proper measures to prevent the police from abusing their powers towards Chinese women any further.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission
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DETAILED INFORMATION:
Name of victims: Two Chinese women in Malaysia, one unidentified and the other Ms. Zhen
Alleged perpetrators: Police personnel attached to the Sungai Buloh police station and the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters
Date and place of incident: October 2005 inside the locker room of a police station and 3 to 7 November 2005 in the Sungai Buloh police station and the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters
Case details:
A one-minute mobile phone video clip showed a woman (not identified), possibly in her 20s, doing ear squats 10 times in front of a policewoman in what looked like a locker room of a police station. The video clip shot was shown to several MP as well as reporters by DAPs Seputeh MP Teresa KOK in the Parliament lobby on the morning of 25 November 2005.
The unidentified woman detained was shown later putting on her underwear and a black top. The grainy clip began with the police officer ordering the naked woman to do squats, indicating with her hands that the detainee was to hold her ears while doing them. It is believed that the incident happened last month as Ramadan prayer could be heard.
It is not known who recorded the footage, which appeared to be taken without the knowledge of the two women through a window. It was first published by vernacular China Press on its front page on November 25.
Ms. Kok said she believed that the woman in the video clip was not one of the Chinese women nationals who had lodged reports recently against the Petaling Jaya police for being falsely detained, stripped and abused.
Home Minister Azmi Khalid told a press conference in Parliament after viewing the clip that: This should not have happened. If police personnel are really involved, then this is police abuse
the government will take the necessary action. On a related matter, Azmi said Profiling Chinese women especially those below 35 as being involving in vice should not have happened.
In a further incident, on 3 November 2005, Ms. Zhen was traveling in a car with four friends, one of whom was Chinese and the other three Malaysians, to a party when they were stopped at a police roadblock in Sungai Buloh. They showed the police their passports but the police personnel said that they suspected the passports were fake.
Ms. Zhen told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur on November 11, that: Although I dont understand Malay, but from their gestures, I knew they asked for RM500. Otherwise we will be arrested. Knowing she had a genuine passport and had nothing to fear, Ms. Zhen refused to pay. Then Ms. Zhen and her female Chinese friend were immediately handcuffed and taken to the Sungai Buloh police station. There she saw a few more women from mainland China detained for allegedly holding fake passports too. Ms. Zhen called her husband, a Malaysian contractor, to bring their marriage certificate but when her husband arrived, the police just ignored him.
At about 6am, the detainees were taken to the Petaing Jaya district police headquaters where their bags were searched. A policeman and a policewoman at the corner asked me to give them RM50 for yum cha (drink tea). They took five RM10 notes from my bag. I was so frightened at that time as they were very fierce so I agreed. Two other Chinese women also gave them RM50. And my friend just had 3RM, and they took this as well. They distributed the money in front of us to another two or three officers.
Then Ms. Zhen was taken to a room where a policewoman ordered her to strip naked. I felt so ashamed so I turned my back when removing my undergarments. When I did this, the policewoman slapped me and grabbed my breasts. Then Ms. Zhen was held in a lock-up with 18 others, in which there were no beds. It was dirty and full of ants. We were not given water to drink. So all of us had to drink tap water and suffered diarrhea.
Not until 7 November was Ms. Zhen finally released after the Immigration Department verified her passport.
I never been handcuffed before. There is no humanity in Malaysia? Ms. Zhen said, breaking into tears. I never believed reports in newspaper in China of how Chinese nationals have been abused in Malaysia until I experienced it myself.
Ms. Zhen has lodged reports over the incident with thee Bukit Aman federal police headquaters and Anti-Corruption Agency and she decided to come forward, I dont want any other Chinese national to suffer. I want justice to be done.
Also present at the press conference were DAP Seputeh MP Teresa KOK and DAP Seputehs deputy chairperson Rickie Kow Ah Kuan. Ms. Kok said she has written a letter to IGP Mohd Bakri Omar urging him to investigate this case promptly.
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SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please send letters to the Malaysian government, in particular to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and raise your concern in such cases. An impartial and independent investigation must be conducted.
Sample letter:
Dear ____________,
MALAYSIA: Chinese women forced to strip naked, detained and abused in police stations in Malaysia
Name of victims: Two Chinese women in Malaysia, one unidentified and the other Ms. Zhen A
Alleged perpetrators: Police personnel attached to the Sungai Buloh police station and the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters
Date and place of incident: October 2005 inside the locker room of a police station and 3 to 7 November 2005 in the Sungai Buloh police station and the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters
I am writing to voice my dismay about information I have received detailing two Chinese women being forced to strip naked, slapped and detained in police stations in Malaysia.
According to the information I have received, in one incident, a one-minute mobile phone video clip, taken secretly and shown to the public as well as in parliament, showed a woman being forced to strip naked and then do squats in front of a policewoman. The footage appeared to be taken in the locker room of a police station. It is also believed that the incident happened last month as Ramadan prayer could be heard.
In another case, Ms. Zhen, a 35-year-old Chinese homemaker, on 3 November, was arrested and suspected of having a false passport. She was asked for money, and forced to strip naked in the police station. She was slapped and detained in a lock-up with 18 others in which there was no bed or drinking water. Only after several days was she released after the Immigration Department verified her passport.
In response to these incidents, I am aware that the Home Minister Azmi Khalid has affirmed that it is police abuse and promised that the government will take the necessary action. I write to you now therefore requesting your assistance in ensuring that this promise is kept and that future cases of abuse such as this are to be avoided in Malaysia. To begin this process I ask that the Inspector General of Police, Mohd Bakki Omar ensure that an impartial investigation is conducted into these cases. Appropriate action must be taken against those responsible within the police force and adequate compensation provided to the victims.
I trust that you will take action in this case.
Yours sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND LETTERS TO:
1. . Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail
Attorney General’s Chambers of Malaysia
Level 1-8 Block C3, Parcel C,
Federal Government Administrative Center,
62512 Putrajaya
Malaysia
Tel No: +603-88855004, +603 – 8885 5000
Fax No: +603 – 8888 9362
Email: ag@agc.gov.my
2. Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Omar
Inspector General of Police
Ketua Polis Negara, Ibupejabat Polis Diraja Malaysia
Bukit Aman, 50502 Kuala Lumpur
MALAYSIA
Tel: +603 2273 1326
Fax: +603 2272 2710 / 2273 1326
3. Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman
Chairperson
Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM)
29th Floor, Menara Tun Razak
Jalan Raja Laut, 50350 Kuala Lumpur
MALAYSIA
Tel: +603 2612 5600
Fax: +603 2612 5620
E-mail: humanrights@suhakam.org.my
4. Dato’ Seri Abdullah Hj. Ahmad Badawi
Prime Minister
Block D1, Parcal D, Pusat Pentadbiran Putrajaya
62502 Putrajaya, Selangor
MALAYSIA
Fax: + 60 3 8886 8014
E-mail: abdullah@kdn.gov.my
5. Ms. Yakin Erturk
Special Rapporteur on Elimination of violence against women
c/o Ms Lucinda Ohanlon
Room 3-042
OHCHR-UNOG
8-14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9615
Fax: +41 22 917 9006
Email: lohanlon@ohchr.org
6. Ms Leila Zerrougui
Chairperson
Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
c/o Miguel de la Lama
OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTENTION: Working Group on Arbitrary Detention)
Email: mdelalama@ohchr.org
Thank you
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission
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