INTERVIEW With many Malaysians wondering about the treatment New Zealand national Natalie Lowrey faced during her detention by Kuantan police for taking part in Himpunan Hijau’s protest almost two weeks ago, she said they treated her well, and with respect.

Aside from the poor conditions in the lock-up, Lowrey said, there was “no beating or physical abuse” by the police personnel against her during the five-day detention period.

“I want the message out that I was dealt with very well by the Kuantan police. It's lock up wasn’t great, but there was no police intimidation of me in any way,” Lowrey said in an interview session with KiniTV and Malaysiakini on Tuesday. She flew back to Australia on Wednesday.

She noted that the police recorded her statement only once, on the night she was arrested, and it took three hours just to make sure that her statement was properly recorded.

“There was also a Special Branch officer who wanted to have a talk with me during the detention. But I insisted that there must be translator with me and he just left,” she added.

Lowrey was arrested, along with 15 other Malaysians, by the police during the protest held by environmental pressure group Himpunan Hijau at the entrance to Lynas Corporation’s rare earths refining plant at the Gebeng Industrial Zone in Kuantan, Pahang, on June 22.

The 15 were released on the midnight of the following day, except for Lowrey, who was investigated under Section 145 of the Penal Code and Section 39(b) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, which allows the authorities to detain her for as long as 14 days.

Lowrey was released unconditionally last Friday, June 27, and there has been no decision yet from the authorities as to whether to charge her in court.

‘I felt an overwhelming need to sit down’

The 42-year-old activist, who earns a living as a graphic and web designer, is a permanent resident of Australia.

She started to take part in the social movement when she was in her 20s, from refugee issues to campaigns to help indigenous people reclaim their land rights from a Canadian gold mining company, and got involved in the anti-Lynas campaign three years ago.

Recalling on how she was arrested, Lowrey said she was moved by Himpunan Hijau chairperson Wong Tack's action in rejecting the call by the police to disperse, and his call to the crowd to carry out a peaceful “sit down” protest.

She said she was there in Gebeng to observe and to document the protest.

“I saw other people sit down with him (Wong) and, as I had come all this way from Australia, and this company is doing terrible things to this community and to the future generations of Malaysia, I just felt the overwhelming need to show my solidarity. And so I peacefully sat down,” she said.

However, Lynas has consistently said its rare earths refining plant causes no harm to human health and the environment and it will recycle the radioactive wastes to become by-products and sell these overseas.

Lowrey was kept with more than 10 other female detainees. She said the condition of the lock-up was poor, as if to psychologically break down a person.

However, she found the way to ease herself by spending her time with the other detainees.

“We just looked after one another. It was a bit of sisterhood. I certainly don’t speak their language, but we managed to communicate in wonderful ways, whether was giving each other massage, praying before eating together and singing at night,” she said.

Despite the misfortune, and without hesitation, Lowrey vowed that she would not cease in her campaign and would continue to show solidarity with the Malaysian community against the Lynas plant.

“After going back to Australia, I definitely will continue the solidarity work with my colleagues and we are hoping we can continue to build the profile around this campaign and really make it an Australian issue as well.

“In fact, what I felt when I was released was the fighting spirit in me growing, and I want to stop Lynas, make it clean up its wastes and go back to Australia,” she added.

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