A group of Burmese pro-democracy activists were re-arrested by the police after the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate's Court freed them this morning.

The 22 were arrested outside the courtroom on immigration offences after Magistrate Aizatul Akmal Maharani discharged them of an unlawful assembly charge .

The group, together with journalist Sein Mar , was first arrested on May 17 for staging a demonstration outside the Burmese embassy in Kuala Lumpur. They were protesting against a national convention organised by the military junta to discuss the formation of a constitution.

Also picked up was Sein Mar's seven-year-old daughter. She was later handed over to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) while her mother was taken to the Kajang prison.

Journalist freed

However, Sein Mar, who was not in court this morning, has since been released and placed under the care of the UNHCR as well.

According to UNHCR officials, she was released last Thursday and is waiting to be repatriated to a third country together with her daughter.

Meanwhile, two other Burmese nationals who came to the court to express support for the group were also arrested this morning. They were later released.

As for the rest, UNHCR officials said they would most probably be charged tomorrow under Section 6(1) of the Immigration Act for entering Malaysia without proper documentation.

All of the 22 are asylum seekers and are represented by lawyers Latheefa Koya, James Khong and Choy Lai Yi.

Unconditional release

Meanwhile in an immediate reaction, human rights group Suaram called upon the police to release all the arrested Burmese without conditions.

"These arrests comes all the more tainted with bad faith as the police and the prosecutors' office had been mulling since their arrest and detention in May to charge them for participating in an illegal assembly," said Suaram coordinator Eric Paulsen in a statement.

"Since the prosecutor's office decided not to proceed with the charges, the asylum seekers should be freed unconditionally, and not made to endure other charges of immigration offences.," he added.

Paulsen said that the action by the police mocked and displayed blatant disrespect for the judiciary, international law and ethical practices.