Msian mission snubs Canadian journalists

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The High Commission of Malaysia in Canada has written a terse letter dismissing the concern expressed by a group of journalists regarding the detention of malaysiakini columnist cum film-maker Hishamuddin Rais.

"I refer to your letter of April 9, 2003 and wish to state that my government is not obliged to justify its actions to you," said the commission's second secretary Ilham Tuah Illias in the short, o­ne-sentence letter.

Ilham Tuah was reacting to press freedom group Canadian Journalists for Free Expression's ( CJFE ) call for the Malaysian government to release Hishamuddin when his two-year Internal Security Act detention order expires in June.

"We strongly oppose any attempts by Malaysian authorities to renew Hishamuddin detention...," wrote CJFE executive director Joel Ruimy.

Ruimy said Hishamuddin had suffered enough since his arrest in April 2001.

The Malaysian government has alleged that Hishamuddin and five other reformasi activists were part of a conspiracy to overthrow the government by 'militant means'.

Apart from Hishamuddin, those detained were Keadilan leaders, Ezam Mohamad Noor, Tian Chua, Saari Sungip, Dr Badrulamin Baharon and Lokman Noor Adam.

The ISA, a colonial relic, allows detention without trial.

Special screening

Ruimy had also o­n Jan 21 sent a letter to the high commission to protest against the controversial police raid o­n malaysiakini .

The police seized 19 computers in the Jan 20 raid as part of an investigation into an allegedly seditious letter published by the o­nline news website.

However, all but two of the computers have since been returned.

Meanwhile, the Abolish ISA Movement (AIM) is organising a special film screening tonight to commemorate the second anniversary of Hishamuddin's arrest, whose detention without trial has just entered its third year.

The event will give the public a rare chance to watch a movie directed by Hishamuddin in 1998, Dari Jemapoh ke Manchestee

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