AI report criticises Msia over ISA, other abuses
Malaysia's has once again failed to impress international human rights watchdog Amnesty International which has criticised the government over the Internal Security Act and the strong measures employed to stifle dissent.
In its annual report released in London today, AI said opposition activists and suspected Islamic "extremists" were arrested and detained without trial under the ISA and were at risk of torture or ill treatment.
"Peaceful demonstrators were dispersed with excessive force and protestors arrested, detained and ill-treated. Students and academics faced penalties for peaceful political activity," added the report.
It stressed that politically motivated prosecutions were also pursued against opposition figures.
The concerns and human rights violations raised by AI in this report were almost similar to the ones raised in last year's report.
The watchdog said the government started using the ISA against opposition activists and suspected Islamic "extremists" after Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's announcement last March that the government would break from international human rights norms to preserve national stability.
"Following the attacks in the USA on Sept 11, the government justified past use of the ISA and announced it may amend it and other laws to combat terrorism," added the report.
The international report, covering 152 countries, described the repression and violence which has blighted the lives of millions of people throughout 2001.
Increasing repression
In a press statement, AI secretary-general Irene Khan said the events of Sept 11 had resulted in a number of governments jumping on the anti-terrorism bandwagon and have seized the opportunity to step up repression, to undermine human rights protection and to stifle political dissent.
"Double standards and selectivity are becoming the norm," she said, stressing that there should not be a "trade off between human rights and security".
Meanwhile, AI's Asia Pacific development officer Devadass Gnanpragasam said that Malaysia was among the countries that had embraced the anti-terrorism bandwagon.
After Sept 11, the government detained more than 60 members of the Kumpulan Mujahidin Malaysia (KMM) under the ISA for allegedly planning to replace the government with an Islamic state through militant means.
The detainees were said to be linked to Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network and were alleged to have received religious and military training in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
In April last year, 10 reformasi activists were detained under the ISA and subsequently six — five of whom were Keadilan leaders — were sentenced to a two-year detention for also trying to topple the government through militant means.
Gnanpragasam said that after Sept 11, world leaders, including Mahathir, had been supportive of human rights for some and not for others.
"On one hand, there is support for the human rights of Palestinians [in their intifada or uprising against the Israelis] and the detainees in Camp X-ray," he added.
Camp X-ray, located in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, is where the US has placed Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters captured during its campaign in Afghanistan which began last October.
"Dr Mahathir has condemned the inhumane treatment of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay but allows a law which has facilitated the ill-treatment of peaceful political dissenters in his own country," said Gnanpragasam.
Political prisoners
The AI report also highlighted the case of the six reformasi activists as well as that of jailed deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim who is serving a 15-year imprisonment for sodomy and corruption.
Anwar has always maintained that he was a victim of a political conspiracy.
Labelling them as prisoners of conscience, AI called for their immediate release. It also added that political prisoners must be given a prompt and fair trial.
AI stated that ISA detainees had reported that they were subjected to intimidation and intense psychological pressure, at times amounting to torture.
To this, AI said the government should take immediate steps to prevent torture and ill treatment and to bring to justice those responsible for these acts.
The report also highlighted the case of three members of the minority Shiah Muslim community who reportedly remained in detention under the ISA during most of 2001. The report added that the reasons for their detention were not made public.
On another matter, the watchdog said the government continued to impose restrictions on the right of peaceful assembly and association, adding that police permits for public assemblies were issued or refused arbitrarily and selectively.
"In July, police issued a ban on all public political rallies."
Selective prosecutions
The use of the Universities and University Colleges Act as a measure against students who participate in demonstrations and other political activities was also included in the report.
Also noted was the detention of several students for participating in a peaceful demonstration against the ISA last June. They were subsequently charged with illegal assembly.
"In July, two students involved in peaceful campaigning against the ISA were arrested and detained incommunicado under the ISA for 10 and 23 days respectively."
The report mentioned the progress made by the judiciary under the new Chief Justice Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah. It highlighted the High Court decision last May that not only ordered the release of two of the 10 reformasi activists held under the ISA, but also called for the parliament to review the act.
The watchdog also accused the government of pursuing selective and politically motivated prosecutions against opposition figures. The case of Keadilan Youth chief Mohamad Ezam Nor was cited as an example.
The report said that Ezam is facing charges under the Sedition Act, Official Secrets Act and for participating in illegal assemblies as well as being detained under the ISA since last June.
The report also spoke of the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) and its various reports released last year, including the one calling for the relaxing of the strict rules governing peaceful assemblies.
"The government pledged to study some of Suhakam's recommendations. However, its responses to Suhakam's findings during the year were frequently dismissive and included public statements that the reports were 'biased' and 'idealistic'," said AI.
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