The Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) today said that it would liaise with the police to hold a dialogue with the non-governmental organisation whose members were arrested during a peaceful gathering at the Kamunting Detention Centre in Perak.

Suhakam commissioner Mehrun Siraj who had earlier met with leaders from the Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (Abolish ISA Movement) said she would send a letter to the authorities tomorrow.

"We will take this up with the police chief of Taiping and would be asking him to hold a dialogue with GMI. We can also take this up to the police when we see them in our usual meetings," Mehrun said.

GMI national chairperson Zaid Kamaruddin, secretary S Arutchelvan, the organisation's Perak chairperson Dr S Jeyakumar and PAS Perak Youth chairperson Syed Idris Ahmad were among those who were at Suhakam headquarters today to hand over a memorandum to Mehrun.

The memorandum complained of the mistreatment of 48 people who were detained at a peaceful gathering on Oct 27 last year — the 14th anniversary of Operasi Lalang where over 100 dissidents were arrested under ISA in 1987.

The 48 were part of a group which held a protest against the controversial security law that allows detention without trial outside the camp where ISA detainees are being housed.

Arutchelvan, Jeyakumar and Idris were among those arrested when GMI activists attempted to hand over a memorandum over to the camp commandant.

Eight-page memorandum

GMI's eight-page memorandum claimed that the arrests were illegal, done in bad faith and contravened the federal constitution's Article 10 which allows for freedom of assembly.

It also said that people were not given time to disperse and that harsh methods were used to disperse them despite an initial agreement between the police and the organisers that no force would be used during the gathering.

"We would also like to lodge a complaint on the fact that there was widespread human rights violations and that those arrested were threatened when complaints against the police were made as well as when their statements were being taken down by the police," Arutchelvan said.

Among those arrested during the 300-strong gathering outside the detention centre were Harakah photographer Mohd Nasir Sudin, Channel News Asia cameraman Hanafiah Hamzah and Radiq Radio journalist Sevan Doraisamy.

Arutchelvan claimed that police also nabbed patrons of a nearby restaurant to fill the 'quota' of arrests.

Not charged

He said those arrested were later released on police bail after a day's detention and have been told to report at the Taiping police station twice. However they have yet to be charged.

Arutchelvan also called on Suhakam to hold an open inquiry into the gathering which he said was never a security threat.

"It seems that the calls made by Suhakam in its Freedom of Assembly report was not followed by the police. We have written many times to have dialogues with them but they never responded.

"The police are there to protect the peace and we can ensure peace on our side but they should not take sides and just hit out at people," he said, adding that several letters had been sent to the authorities.

Mehrun said all their grouses would be taken into consideration and she would discuss with fellow commissioner Anuar Zainal Abidin on the possibility of having an open inquiry.

Mehrun and Anuar both serve on a sub-committee that investigates allegations of police brutality and were responsible for the publication of an inquiry report on the now infamous '100,000 People's Gathering' of Keadilan members along the Kesas highway on Nov 5, 2000. The report had accused the police of human rights violations.

The commission has also published a report on the Freedom Of Assembly which called for the police to ease restrictions on gatherings and to allow them to be held at public places.