The Kamunting Detention Centre today denied the alleged assault o­n two reformasi activists - Tian Chua and Hishamuddin Rais - claiming that what had happened was actually the reverse.

Both are serving a two-year detention without trial under the Internal Security Act (ISA) at the centre in Taiping, Perak.

They claimed they were assaulted by 30 plainclothed and uniformed security officers clad in heavy riot gear complete with shields, batons and mace.

When contacted this afternoon, the camp's commandant Abdul Basir Mohamad insisted that no o­ne was beaten or handcuffed.

Routine block search

"Mana ada, tak pukul pun. Tak ada siapa yang kena pukul pun. (No, there was no beating. No o­ne was beaten)," he said in a telephone interview.

He said the disputed inspection of the dormitory was in fact a "routine block search".

"If it is true that 30 officers had beaten them up, both would have been dead by now," he added, stopping short of saying that the detainees had provoked the officers first. He then hung up abruptly.

At an earlier press conference at Keadilan headquarters in Petaling Jaya, party vice-president Dr Xavier Jayakumar said the party is taking the matter seriously because "the ISA detention itself is unlawful and they are defenseless in the camp".

"I was told that Tian was slapped a few times and his family said he had sustained bruises o­n his neck, arms and o­n his back."

He was also concerned over the possibility of the government using Friday's incident as an excuse to extend the detention period.

Political purposes

Lawyer R Sivarasa, who was present at the press conference, said the detention has been declared as unlawful by the Federal Court last September, which also cited political motive as grounds for the detention.

"If at all the Home Minister (Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) orders another two-year detention, it will be solely for political purposes."

Despite the ISA advisory board's recommendation for their immediate release, the government has continued to detain the activists.

Reading out a statement o­n behalf of the families of the detainees, Aliza Jaafar, wife of ISA detainee Saari Sungib, said in conjunction with Mother's Day, their main concern was the safety of their detained husbands.

"The authorities are supposed to protect the detainees and ensure their safety, but now it looks like they themselves are posing a threat to their charges."

She said her husband, who was in his room, had gone out upon hearing the commotion and saw Tian Chua pinned down by a group of security officers.

"He quickly told them not to beat Tian Chua and kept repeating this. He said the officers simply said that they were not beating him before going away without even turning to look at him (Saari).

"Most probably, they did not want any eyewitnesses to the incident. At that time, my husband wasn't sure if Tian Chua had already been assaulted."

Suspend wardens

Keadilan Wanita chief Fuziah Salleh was concerned that the incident may be used to extend the detention, especially when the two-year detention expires o­n June 1.

"We are worried that such incidents may affect their release. Despite the fact that the detention itself is unlawful, the detainees should be treated properly, regardless."

In a statement today, Dapsy national secretary Loke Siew Fook said Abdullah should immediately suspend the camp wardens involved in the alleged assault pending an investigation.

He wants Suhakam to set up an independent commission of inquiry into the incident and if found guilty, the wardens should be penalised to serve as a deterrent to wardens in other incarceration facilities.

Human rights group Suaram wants the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) and the Bar Council to launch an immediate investigation into the incident.

Its executive director Cynthia Gabriel, who was present at the press conference, said that apart from Suhakam, requests will be sent to the United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights for urgent action.