Keadilan vice-president Tian Chua, who was released from Kamunting Detention Camp a month ago, has expressed empathy with seven students charged with illegal assembly while protesting the detention of reformasi activists under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in June 2001.

The ' ISA 7 ', as the group has been dubbed, were arrested and charged for demonstrating outside the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur. They were subsequently suspended by their universities.

The seven are Rafzan Ramli, Helman Sanudin, Khairul Amal Mahmood, Ahmad Kamal Abdul Hamid, Wan Sanusi Wan Mohd Noor, Nik Noorhafizi Nik Ismail and Zulkifli Idris.

Tian Chua today described their suspension pending the disposal of the court case as "unlawful punishment".

Citing the Federal Court ruling last September that the initial detention of five reformasi activists under the ISA was unlawful, he said the students were similarly being punished "unlawfully".

"The students stood on the correct side and expressed something legitimate. Furthermore, they shouldn't be punished before the court makes any ruling," he told malaysiakini .

'Reinstate students'

On behalf of the other five ex-ISA detainees, Tian Chua expressed gratitude to the students for their courage in protesting against the security law and fighting for their release. The six were released in two batches last month.

"They are an example for students - they dared to speak up, showed their concern over a social issue, and participated in a move to achieve a democratic Malaysia," said the Keadilan leader, who was a student activist in the 1980s.

He called on Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) chief Abu Talib Othman to intervene immediately to ensure that the basic human rights of the students are protected.

"Abu Talib ( right ) should meet with the education mnister and the respective vice-chancellors to reinstate the students until the court delivers a verdict," he said.

They seven were from Universiti Institut Teknologi Mara, Universiti Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

Suhakam commissioner Prof Dr Mohd Hamdan Adnan said yesterday it was wrong of the universities to have punished them before the court arrives at a decision.

He urged the authorities to free them of the charge and pledged that Suhakam would step up its efforts in this direction, in light of the trial date.

The case is scheduled to be heard on July 14 at the Kuala Lumpur magistrate's court, after having been postponed eight times for various reasons.

Contradictory stand

In a statement released late yesterday, Tian said opposition parties and other supporters would take the campaign to the international stage if domestic efforts to lift the suspension order do not succeed.

"If justice does not prevail, Barisan Alternatif, Abolish ISA Movement and Students' Abolish ISA Movement will initiate a nationwide campaign to defend their rights," he said.

"We will bring the issue up at international level, especially to the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva."

He urged Deputy Premier and Home Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to instruct the police to withdraw the charge.

"The government continuously urges students to elevate their mindset and competitiveness, but why do they suppress their freedom of expression? This is contradictory," he added.

Yesterday, Tian and two other former ISA detainees, Hishamuddin Rais and Dr Badrulamin Bahron, had accompanied a group of 40 students to submit a memorandum to Suhakam.

The memorandum endorsed by 13 groups urged Suhakam to be "pro-active and aggressive" in dealing with complaints lodged two years ago in support of the seven.