German trade unions, too, want Tian Chua either freed or charged

comments     Yap Mun Ching     Published     Updated

A German trade union body has urged the Malaysian government to charge Keadilan vice-president Tian Chua in an open court or release him immediately from detention under the Internal Security Act.

Tian is well-known in the international and German trade union movements as a labour researcher and educator, Dieter Schulte, president of the German Federation of Trade Unions, said in a letter dated Jan 24 to Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Schulte, whose federation represents eight million members, was in Kuala Lumpur recently to meet with Minister of Human Resources Dr Fong Chan Oon. The letter was handed to Fong who was requested to hand it over to Abdullah.

I am convinced that if he had done anything that posed a threat to the security of Malaysia, there would be sufficient evidence to charge him. Unfortunately, this has not happened so far, Schulte said in his letter.

Remedy situation

The union leader said the government should remedy the situation immediately to improve Malaysias reputation in Germany as a target for direct investment and, increasingly, as a tourist location for German tourists.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad is scheduled for an official visit to Germany next month.

Chua was among 10 people detained under the ISA last year for allegedly planning to topple the government by employing militant means. Six of them, including Chua, were ordered by the home minister to be detained for two years.

In another development, a coalition of US-based religious investors has also sent a letter to Abdullah to release Chua and other reformasi activists held under the ISA.

The Interfaith Centre on Corporate Responsibility which represents Christian and Jewish investors and has a combined portfolio of some US$110 billion, expressed concern over allegations of ill-treatment, amounting to torture, of the Malaysian activists detained.



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