Whether or not the six reformasi activists will be freed o­nce their two-year Internal Security Act detention orders expire o­n June I will depend o­n reports prepared by their case officers, said Deputy Home Minister Zainal Abidin Zin today.

He said the current standard practice includes an interview to review the detainees' behaviour over the last two years.

"The basis for consideration would be the reports prepared by the interrogators/investigators and special officers handling the ISA cases.

"This includes the degree of cooperation extended to the officers, their behaviour, habits, character and openness in answering the relevant charges," he said when contacted.

Zainal also said there were other reports, unknown to the detainees, that would be used as a comparison to the interview report.

"Whatever the decision, the detainees will be notified before the expiry of the detention period," he added.

The six are Keadilan leaders Tian Chua, Mohd Ezam Mod Nor, Saari Sungib, Lokman Noor Adam and Dr Badrulamin Bahron, and malaysiakini columnist-cum-film maker Hishmamuddin Rais.

However, Mohd Ezam is serving a separate two-year sentence for breaching the Official Secrets Act at the Kajang Prison while the rest are being held at the Kamunting Detention Camp in Perak.

The six were detained in 2001 for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government through militant means, a charge which they have denied.

Official assurance

In a related development, DAP urged the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) to obtain an official assurance that the detention orders will not be extended.

Its chairperson Lim Kit Siang said Suhakam chief Abu Talib Othman should meet Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to sort this out.

"Abu Talib should seek an urgent meeting with Abdullah for his assurance that the detention orders will not be extended o­nce it expires o­n June 1," he said in a statement.

"Although the government is not bound legally and constitutionally by the recommendations of the ISA advisory board and Suhakam, it has failed its moral and political responsibility and the principles of good governance to give serious consideration to their views."

"Suhakam should regard this issue as a crucial and critical test of its relevance and this is why Abu Talib should lead his entire team of commissioners for an urgent meeting with Abdullah," he added.

Convincing reasons

Lim criticised the government o­n its failure to "give convincing reasons" to parliament and the country to justify the continued detention of the activists, (thus) highlighting its "lack of commitment to the fundamental principle of democratic governance and the just rule of law".

At the same time, he said, the national human rights watchdog should also launch a nationwide countdown to their release.

"It should use this as an occasion to conscientise Malaysians o­n the importance of given greater respects and regard to human rights in all aspects of national life," he added.

Lim also noted the absence of an official response to the alleged assault of Tian Chua and Hishamuddin o­n May 9 by a group of camp security officials.

Suhakam could not be reached for comments.

The ISA was enacted in 1960 to fight communist insurgency. In recent years, it has been denounced as an instrument that violates human rights and silences dissidents.

As of last June, 113 people are being held under a two-year detention order, with over half of them allegedly members of local and regional terror groups.