More non-government organisations have called o­n the home ministry to release the six reformasi activists unconditionally when their detention orders under the Internal Security Act (ISA) expires tomorrow.

In a press statement today, the Women's Agenda for Change (WAC) said continued detention of the activists would demonstrate "flagrant travesty of justice" under the guise of national security concerns.

'Glaring injustice'

The WAC, which is supported and endorsed by 90 non-government organisations, said the further detention of the reformasi activists would also be intolerable given that the ISA review committee has twice recommended their release.

"Not o­nly that, the Federal court's ruling o­n Sept 6, 2002...further exemplifies the glaring injustice. The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has also recognised this fact and has echoed the call of (other) human rights groups for their release," the statement said.

The reformasi activists detained presently at the Kamunting Detention Centre in Perak are Tian Chua, Saari Sungib, Lokman Nor Adam, Badrulamin Bahron and Hishamuddin Rais.

Keadilan leader Youth Chief Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor was arrested with the ISA5 but was transferred to the Kajang prison last year to serve a two-year jail term for breaching the Official Secrets Act by leaking confidential documents relating to a corruption investigation to the media.

Meanwhile, the WAC said the home ministry should also release the ISA detainees to avoid another incident of custodial assault as suffered by two of the detainees earlier this month.

"WAC views their personal safety and lives to be in grave danger from further violence by authorities in an attempt to justify their continued detention."

In the incident, Tian Chua and Hishamuddin were allegedly ' manhandled ' by some 30 heavily armed security personnel after a dispute broke out over Tian Chua's use of a computer in his cell.

The WAC is a joint initiative by the Women's Development Collective, All Women's Action Society, Women's Aid Organisation, Sisters in Islam, Friends of Women Society and the women wings of Jamaah Islah Malaysia, Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall and Metal Industries Employees' Union.

Credibility at stake

In a separate statement, opposition politician Lim Kit Siang said Malaysia's credibility o­n the world stage would be jeopardised if the government continues to "victimise" the reformasi detainees.

"The continued detention of the reformasi activists under the ISA will make nonsense of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)'s Final Document o­n Human Rights and undermine Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's credibility at the G8 Summit (in France) next week," he said.

According to Lim, the NAM document o­n human rights adopted o­n Feb 25 this year had committed NAM member states to condemn "gross and systematic violation of all human rights" including "arbitrary detentions".

Lim said the document also urged all governments to provide an effective framework for the protection and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms and to ensure that their constitutional and legal systems provide for effective guarantee of fundamental freedoms.

Honour for NAM, Malaysia

However, despite being the host nation for the summit, the DAP chairperson said Malaysia had clearly failed to uphold its commitments by its refusal to release the ISA detainees.

"If the Kuala Lumpur NAM Summit (human rights document) is not worth the paper it is printed o­n, then what is the worth of the credibility of (Mahathir as the Malaysian prime minister and NAM chairperson) at the G8 Summit?"

Mahathir has been invited to participate at the Group of Eight industrialised countries informal dialogue at the French resort town, scheduled to take place between June 1-3.

The premier had hailed the invitation as an honour which showed that developed countries "recognised and respected" the achievements of Malaysia and NAM.