The Malaysian Internal Security Act (ISA), which allows for detention without trial, is being used as a form of political harassment by the government to silence its dissidents, an international human rights group said today.

"This is political bullying pure and simple. The ISA is tailor-made for authoritarian leaders who want to lock up political opponents," said Joe Saunders, deputy director of the Asia division for Human Rights Watch (HRW) in a media statement.

"The Human Rights Watch calls for the immediate release of the seven ISA detainees," added Saunders.

Saunders, who is based in HRW's New York office, said that the ISA "allows for restrictions on freedom of assembly, association and expression and freedom of movement, residence and employment".

"The right of ISA detainees to be fairly charged and tried is restricted not only by the provisions in the ISA, but also by a June 1989 amendment removing the jurisdiction of courts to hear habeas corpus petitions from ISA detainees," he said.

Seven reformasi activists have been detained in an ISA dragnet launched on Tuesday. The police have not ruled out the possibility of more arrests.

Militant tactics

Those detained are Keadilan deputy president Tian Chua, Youth leaders Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor, N Gobalakrishnan and Abdul Ghani Harun, Free Anwar Campaign (Freeanwar.com) webmaster Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin, social activist cum malaysiakini columnist Hishamuddin Rais and Saari Sungib, organiser of the ''Black 14' event tomorrow.

The 'Black 14' event, to commemorate the second anniversary of former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim's sentencing in 1998 for abuse of power, will involve the handing over of a memorandum to the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam).

In a press conference on Wednesday, the Inspector General of Police Norian Mai said the seven were arrested because they were planing to overthrow the government by employing " militant tactics."

Following the crackdown, the government has come under pressure from political parties, non-governmental organisations and Suhakam to release the detainees.

The ISA is the creation of colonial British rule used originally against communist insurgents during the Malaysian Emergency.

The Act was used during the 1987 ' Operasi Lalang ', which saw more than 100 activists and politicians, both from the government and opposition, arrested and jailed. Several of the detainees were only released in the early 90s.

Among those imprisoned were DAP chairman Lim Kit Siang, his deputy Karpal Singh, PAS youth leader Mahfuz Omar and human rights activist Dr Kua Kia Soong.