The wife of Keadilan leader Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor has urged the United Nations to help pressure the Malaysian government to release all detainees held under the Internal Security Act.

Bahirah Tajul Aris, who was speaking at the 58th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) said yesterday her husband and five other reformasi activists were arrested simply because they believe in human rights and democracy.

According to Bahirah, her husband was detained after exposing widespread abuse of power in the government and charged under the Official Secrets Act. He has also been slapped with the Sedition Act and a battery of other charges, including illegal assembly.

She added that Ezam was detained under the ISA after officials were tired of charging him in court.

They interrogated him continuously while in solitary confinement for 52 days, without access to lawyers. No one was told where he was or even if he was dead or alive! she lamented.

Bahirah said family members of the ISA detainees have been constantly humiliated, harassed and persecuted while their children have been traumatised by the forcible separation from their fathers.

Kept in the dark

The other reformasi detainees are Saari Sungib, Tian Chua, Dr Badrul Amin Bahron, Lokman Nor Adam and malaysiakini columnist-cum-film-maker Hishammudin Rais.

The worst agony of all is not knowing when they might be released. The longest ISA detention was 22 years, she told the attendees of the conference comprising of diplomats, UN workers and human rights non-government organisations from around the world.

The longest ISA detainee was Kamarulzaman Teh, who was held for 22 years without trial under the ISA in the 1960s for his involvement in the armed struggle for independence from the British.

Bahirah also said the detainees have had no recourse to the courts as their applications to challenge the governments detention order have been quashed by the High Court and their petitions to the government have been ignored.

These prisoners of conscience will embark on a hunger strike to demand for their release or to be brought before the courts, she said in reference to the hunger strike commencing tomorrow to mark the one year anniversary of the detainees arrest.

The ISA exists so that a handful of powerful Malaysians can feel secure emotionally, mentally and financially because the rest of us live in fear of arbitrary detention, Bahirah added in support for the movement calling for the abolition of the ISA.

Country misrepresented

Meanwhile, the Malaysian government delivered its right of reply to a statement made on March 22 by Jerald Joseph of human rights movement Suaram.

Joseph had urged Malaysia to ratify the UN Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

The government spokesperson said Joseph had misrepresented the situation in the country.

To provide clarification to some of its allegations...the Malaysian government set up vernacular schools to allow the various ethnic groups in the country to enjoy freedom of choice of education for their children, said the spokesperson.

The spokesperson also said human rights in Malaysia are guaranteed under the Federal Constitution and the governments commitment to consulting the people is evident in its decision to establish the national human rights commission or Suhakam.

(Suhakam) had made their invaluable contribution to educate the citizens of Malaysia of their rights and had submitted their reports to the Malaysian Parliament for its consideration. This is democracy in action, said the spokesperson.

Reference was also made to the 1969 racial riots as a black spot in Malaysian history, after which various consultative committees and councils were established to provide participative decision making by representatives from all walks of life.

Racial clashes

During his March 22 speech, Joseph had lambasted Suhakam for failing to conduct an inquiry into the racial clashes which broke out between Malay and Indian communities in Kampung Medan, Selangor.

He also said the affirmative action which was introduced to correct economic imbalances of wealth-holding in the country may have been used as an excuse to continue practices that divide the community and benefit mainly Malay elites, to the disadvantage of others.

This years 58th session of the UNCHR in Geneva began on March 18 and will conclude on April 22. The commission is made up of some 50 countries and meets annually to review the human rights records of member nations.

At the end of the UNCHR session, member countries could vote to rebuke those who have abused human rights.

Other delegates to the commission include former ISA detainee and student leader Khairul Anuar, Suaram executive director Cynthia Gabriel and Mabel Au, fiancee of Keadilan vice-president Tian Chua.