US stands by critical report against ISA

comments     Yap Mun Ching     Published     Updated

The United States has not changed its position with regard to advocacy for human rights and democracy in Malaysia, a US embassy spokesperson said today.

US embassy press officer Frank Whitaker said his government is maintaining its stand as expressed in the '2001 Country report on human rights practices in Malaysia' published on March 4 this year.

Whitaker was commenting on the announcement by de facto Law Minister Dr Rais Yatim last Sunday that US Attorney-General John Ashcroft had "positively endorsed" the significance of the Internal Security Act as a preventive law.

Rais reportedly said there will be no more basis for the US to criticise Malaysia's use of the ISA since such action could jeopardise the position of the US Patriot Act.

The human rights report compiled by the US Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, contained, among others, the critical assessment that Malaysian police had "increased their use of the ISA to arrest and detain many persons, including members of the political opposition, without charge or trial".

"The ISA often is used against what the government considers non-political crimes, including those against ostensibly 'deviant' Muslim groups...The ISA, and the threat of invoking the ISA, also are used to intimidate and restrict political dissent," said the report which has been published on the US embassy website.

The report also cited examples of the government's use of the ISA to detain individuals for different reasons including Keadilan leaders, two students and several others on charges of involvement in militant activities.

The five — Keadilan leaders Tian Chua, Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor, Lokman Nor Adam, Saari Sungib and Dr Badrulamin Bahron — have been detained since April 10 last year.



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