The pattern of injuries suffered by several detainees at the Kamunting Detention Camp last week were consistent with those showed by victims who were bound and beaten, a medical doctor said today.

"The photos were very clear and I don't have to be there to understand that they were assaulted without the ability to defend themselves," the doctor told a Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) commissioner.

The doctor, who declined to be named, is a brother of one of the ISA detainees at the camp. He had accompanied a group of nine women - ISA detainees' wives - who presented a memorandum to Suhakam this afternoon urging the latter to investigate the alleged assault on the inmates last week.

Human rights groups say a total of 20 inmates were assaulted while five police reports were lodged last Saturday at the Taiping police station by the wives over the alleged incident and subsequent denial of medical treatment to those injured.

The doctor said he had seen reports from the camp's medical officers, showing that the detainees suffered a pattern of injuries consistent with those who had been bound beforehand.

"They suffered bruises on the back, forehead, elbow and shoulder. You can see the pattern of how they were assaulted.," he said.

Lawyers barred

The doctor urged the Suhakam vice-chairperson Simon Sipaun, who received memorandum from the wives, to investigate the nature of the alleged injuries.

"Why have family members not been allowed to see the detainees? Are they trying to hide something until the injuries have healed?" asked the doctor, adding that to assault a human being in such a way was despicable.

Lawyer for the detainees, Amer Hamzah, who was also present, urged Suhakam to assist in sending a team of doctors to the infamous camp to check and treat the injuries of the beaten detainees.

He also asked for the commission's help in allowing the detainees' legal counsel to visit their clients.

"Why we were not allowed to see our clients? If there are allegations of them having been beaten up, then we have to see them to know what has happened," he said.

The memorandum from the wives, submitted by Abolish ISA Movement (AIM) chairperson Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, called on Suhakam to initiate an independent investigation into the assault and the injuries suffered by inmates.

"We also want Suhakam to reveal the findings of its visit to the Kamunting camp on Dec 11," said Syed Ibrahim.

Commissioner Sipaun said Suhakam would discuss the memorandum received and the points brought up in today's discussion.

"I ensure you we'll do our best to perform our responsibility," he said, adding that he had full sympathy for the detainees involved and their families.

"As an individual, I am first of all against detention without trial," he added.

Smuggling denied

Meanwhile, a wife of one of the detainees refuted media reports which said that they (the wives) had smuggled in illegal items for their husbands during visit to the camps.

"All of us were searched. Otherwise, do you think they would have allowed us in?" she said.

She then proceeded to demonstrate, with the assistance of a Suhakam official, on how the searches were conducted ( see photo ).

She alleged that mobile phones used by detainees, as claimed in the report, were provided by the camp guards.

"My husband told me that a camp officer had once offered to sell him a mobile phone for RM400. I told him not to buy it as we don't have much money," she said.

The alleged assault on 12 inmates at Kamunting on Dec 8 occurred following a spot check conducted by camp authorities at the detainees' quarters.

The wives claims that 50 prison security personnel equipped with batons and shields entered the detainees' dormitory during the asar prayer-hour (about 4pm) and handcuffed the men.

They were then beaten and had their hair and beards shaved off, according to the spouses who said that another eight detainees were similarly assaulted during another spot check on Monday.

The Internal Security Ministry has claimed that the inmates' injuries were sustained during a clash with camp guards when the ISA detainees tried to prevent the former from carrying out the spot checks.

The ministry said 20 camp guards were also injured while a number of sawn-into-half badminton racquets, sharp implements and mobile phones were seized.