A coalition of student groups today handed over a memorandum to the United States embassy in Kuala Lumpur on the torture of Iraqi prisoners by US military personnel.

The 30-odd students gathered outside the embassy along Jalan Tun Razak while a spokesperson read out the memorandum, which among others, called for the resignation of President George W Bush.

They also urged the US-led coalition to abide by principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948.

Objecting to the torture of Abu Ghraib prisoners, the students said such human rights violations indicate the level of abuse practised by occupying American forces and the extent to which they have reneged on promises prior to the occupation.

"The action by American soldiers in torturing Iraqi prison detainees indicate the failure of the United States in ensuring that Iraq becomes a free nation.

"We ask that the US release its shackles over Iraq and return the nation to its rightful sovereignty," read the memorandum.

Student groups which endorsed the memorandum were the Peninsular Muslim Students' Coalition (Gamis), National Student Action Coalition (BBMN), Muslim Student Association of Malaysian (PKPIM).

Also in collaboration were pro-democracy youth groups such as Democratic Youth and Students' Movement (Dema), University Bangsar Utama (UBU), Student Resource and Legal Training Centre (Isrec), and Muslim non-governmental group Karisma.

'Terrorist' term

The students also decried the American government's use of the term 'terrorist', which they claimed was reserved for Muslim-identified groups.

"We call on the United States to consider the sensitivities of Muslims worldwide for the sake of protecting peace."

The memo was received by the embassy's security officers.

The torture at the prison came to light on April 28, when the US-based CBS television station broadcasted images of Iraqi prisoners of war being subjected to a range of brutal and humiliating abuses.