The ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION urge you to take immediate action on the current Malaysian detentions under Internal Security Law. Further updates on AHRC Urgent Appeal on Malaysia 980922, updates 980923 and 980925.
2 September 1998: Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohammed removed Anwar Ibrahim as deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia
20 September 1998: Anwar Ibrahim was detained under the draconian colonial British Internal Security Act by 250 security officers at Anwar’s Kuala Lumpur residence while he was having a press conference to the international media.
29 September 1998: Anwar Ibrahim was produced in a Kuala Lumpur magistrate court after his detention on 20 September 1998. Media throughout the world revealed the statement make by Anwar Ibrahim:
\"I was boxed very hard om my lower jaw and left eye. I was also boxed on the right of my head and they hit me on the left side of my neck very hard. I was slapped very hard left and right until blood came out from my nose and my lips cracked. Because of this, I could not see and walk properly.\"
Anwar was handcuffed, blindfolded and beaten unconscious on his first day of custody. Anwar’s swollen faced marked with a black ring around his eyes and bruises on his hands and neck exposed the extend of abuses and forced used on him by the state officers. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, in his capacity as home affairs minister, owns an explaination on the use of such police brutality. Assault and torture of any detainees in police custody is no justificable .
Farces enough, he was charged under a bailable offenses but arrested under the \"Internal Security Act\". Thus the detention amounts to an illegal detention and an abuse of the Internal Security Law.
Anwar has been charged with five counts of corruption and five of unnatural sex, all of which he had denied. The two men sentenced to 6 month imprisonment for allegedly having sex with Anwar have appealed to the high court against their convictions. The third accused person has denied in a sworn statement he had a homosexual relationship with Anwar. A police officer had attempted to extort a statement from the fourth alleged victim. The additional five charges were mostly of abuse of power is linked to the sodomy or related charges.
5 October 1998: Anwar is to appear in the High Court for a fresh reading of the 10 charges of corruption and illegal homosexual acts. Anwar will plea innocence.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
AHRC will have special website to publicize the letters of protest written on this issue. This website will be called \"CYBERSPACE DEMOCRACY WALL-MALAYSIA.\" Kindly send in your letters of and comments. Hundreds of such letters may help to bring pressure to achieve the demands of the Malaysian Peoples. AHRC condemns the use of Internal Security Act (ISA) as a violation of the rule of law, human rights and the principles of democratic government and calls on the Malaysian government to repeal the ISA in total. It has no place in any civilised society.
Further to our earlier appeals, we request you to write urgent letters to the Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohammed of Malaysia and United Nations secretary-general Kofi Anan, requesting them to intervene to:
1. Release immediately and unconditionally all Internal Security Act detainees including Anwar Ibrahim
2. Provide immediate medical care to detainees
3. Release immediately and unconditionally all political detainees
4. Provide immediate medical care to all political prisoners
5. Investigate the offense committed by State Officers and take appropriate action against them
6. allow independent team of psysicians to examine all ISA detainees to ensure they are not being subject to torture or physical assault
7. Abolish the Internal Security Act which contravenes UN Human Rights Standards
8. Provide security to peaceful protesters.
SEND APPEALS TO:
Dato Seri Mahathir bin Mohamad Prime Minister’s Department Jalan Dato Onn 50502 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Faxes: 603 – 298 4172
Mr. Kofi Annan Secretary-General of United Nations D-519 Palais des Nations Geneva 10, Switzerland Fax: 41 – 22 – 917 0022 (Hotline – Human Rights)
Mr. Kofi Annan Secretary General United Nations United Nations Headquarter New York. USA.
And to the diplomatic representative of Malaysia accredited to your country.
