The alleged assault o­n two Internal Security Act detainees appeared to be part of a series of provocative actions which may be used to extend their detention, said the Abolish ISA Movement today.

GMI chairperson Zaid Kamaruddin ( photo ) said that the first of such actions, which started early this month, was the alleged attempt by the camp authorities to force ailing detainee Dr Badrulamin Baharon to attend a trial in Kuala Lumpur scheduled for May 5.

Zaid said when the other detainees protested, camp authorities retaliated by destroying a fruit and vegetable garden tended by Hishammudin Rais.

This, he added, prompted the detainees to start a boycott against the camp authorities by sleeping along the corridor outside their dormitories.

Requests ignored

Events that followed culminated in the alleged assault of Hishamuddin and Keadilan leader Tian Chua, said Zaid in a memorandum submitted to Human Rights Commission today.

The memorandum urged Suhakam to probe the alleged assault of the two detainees by security personnel last Friday. GMI said that Suhakam should visit the Kamunting Detention Centre in Perak to conduct an investigation and public inquiry into the incident to bring the perpetrators to justice.

A copy of the memorandum was made available to malaysiakini later.

Zaid also added that Kamunting officials had also repeatedly ignored the request by Tian Chua to bring a laptop computer to his room although there is no law denying detainees access to computers.

"In the morning of May 9, Kamunting detention camp commandant Abdul Basir Mohamad finally agreed to meet the political detainees... Both sides exchanged views and the meeting ended in a friendly manner.

"Mr Basir apologised for the destroyed garden and admitted that they had gone overboard. They said they would provide tools for Hishammudin to rework the garden. Thus, the detainees decided to end the boycott as negotiations ended in a positive manner and the issues involved seemed to have been resolved," he said in the memorandum.

Force unnecessary

In view of this, Zaid said the alleged use of "violent force" later o­n the same day was unnecessary.

He added that the "provocative" actions by camp authorities would be used against the detainees in order for Home Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to justify extending their detention orders for another two years following their expiry o­n June 1.

"GMI condemns the provocative and intimidatory actions by the camp authorities towards the detainees," said Zaid.

"We strongly protest the unnecessary brute force against the detainees and the degrading treatment of Tian Chua, who was stripped naked in the incident," he said.

It was earlier reported that Tian Chua and Hishamuddin were allegedly assaulted by about 30 security personnel in anti-riot gear who raided the former's room to seize a computer.

Tian Chua was said to have taken the computer to his room without permission to work o­n his doctoral thesis. However, Tian Chua claimed he had been given approval to use the computer.

In the incident, Hishamuddin ( photo ) was reportedly "pinned down and handcuffed". He was later put in solitary confinement for an hour when he shouted at the security personnel to release Tian Chua.

However, camp commandant Abdul Basir Mohamad denied the assault claim, adding that the disputed inspection of the dormitory was a "routine block search".

Suhakam decision later

Contacted later, a Suhakam officer with the complaints and public inquiry working group confirmed receipt of the memorandum.

"We are looking into the matter. We will make a decision o­n this later," said the officer who declined to be named.

None of the Suhakam commissioners were available to receive the memorandum or comment o­n the matter.

Tian Chua and Hishamuddin were among six reformasi activists arrested in April 2001 for allegedly planning to topple the government through militant means, a charge which they have denied.

All, except for Keadilan Youth chief Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor, are supposed to be released next month when their two-year detention order expires. However, the government has the right to extend their detention.

Mohd Ezam is serving another two years at the Kajang prison for breaching the Official Secrets Act by leaking confidential documents relating to a graft probe to the media.