A worldwide signature campaign calling for the immediate release of reformasi activists who are detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) was launched by an international human rights group recently.

To date, 9,388 people around the world have signed Amnesty International's (AI) [#1] online petition [/#], which was started following the initial ISA arrests on April 10.

"The organisation's members will continue to write directly to Malaysian authorities urging the the release of the detainees," said AI in a press statement to malaysiakini today.

"We are also urging for the ISA to be either repealed or amended so that it no longer allows for detention without trial of those exercising their right to freedom of expression or assembly," the statement read.

AI was responding to the latest ISA arrest of human rights activist Badaruddin Ismail yesterday. A member of a local human rights organisation Suaram, Badaruddin has been assisting the families of "arbitrary arrest victims" and documenting an inquiry into police brutality.

"This shows that the Malaysian authorities are determined to curb legitimate activities that are in defence of human rights as well as political dissent," the organisation said.

AI also called for the immediate release of the 10 detainees - calling them "prisoners of conscience" - as there are risks of "police brutality".

The other detainees are Keadilan leaders Tian Chua and Dr Badrul Amin Baharom; Keadilan Youth leaders Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor, N Gobalakrishnan, Abdul Ghani Haroon, Lokman Adam and Saari Sungib; Free Anwar Campaign (freeanwar.com) webmaster Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin; social activist-cum- malaysiakini columnist Hishamuddin Rais.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has denied the ISA crackdown is politically motivated.

Suhakam powerless

Of police allegation that the detainees were planning to topple the government through militant means, AI said, "No such evidence has been made public or presented in court. The Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), which called for the release of the detainees, has also been denied permission to visit them."

Suhakam's letter to the police seeking to visit the detainees has yet to secure a reply.

When the commission called for their release and urged for the repeal or amendment of the ISA, it incurred criticism from government leaders, including the prime minister.

Yesterday, its commissioner Anuar Zainal Abidin was reported as saying that "Suhakam's hands are tied" and there is nothing much it can do about the arrests.

"The Malaysian government should not ignore calls for the repeal of the ISA. Using it to silence critics is a regressive move which inflicts great damage on human rights in a free society," AI stated further.

Road show

Meanwhile, [#2] World Organisation Against Torture International Secretariat [/#], one of the largest coalitions of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) fighting against torture, summary executions and force disappearances, has also reacted to the ISA arrests.

The organisation is urging people to write to the authorities to take necessary measures to ensure the physical and psychological well-being of the 10 detainees.

It has at its disposal, a network called the SOS Torture (comprising 240 NGOs worldwide), acting as a source of information, reaching daily more than 90,000 governmental associations, and pressure and interest groups.

Local Muslim NGO Jemaah Islaah Malaysia (JIM) told malaysiakini today that it is organising a road show on ISA which will kick off this Sunday and cover Melaka, Penang, Terengganu and Kelantan.

"We intend to educate the public on the cruelty of ISA," said a JIM representative, who declined to be named.