Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) should assert its legal rights to visit the 10 Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees and not accept lame excuses from the police, urged a social reform group today.

The permission to visit the detainees is not entirely at the police's discretion as Suhakam was also empowered with the similar authority under the law, said Aliran in a press statement.

"Suhakam must not accept lame explanations from the police. If the National Human Rights Act and the commission's mission are to have any real meaning, Suhakam should take the appropriate steps to visit the ISA detainees," the statement read.

"The National Human Rights Act does not leave it to the pleasure of the police to determine if or when Suhakam's right can be exercised. The commission should visit the detainees urgently and not at the convenience of police," added the Penang-based group.

To date 10 opposition leaders and human rights activists have been detained under the ISA - which allows detention without trial - since the commencement of the crackdown on April 10. Following the initial wave of arrest, police said the detainees posed a threat to national security and were planning to topple the government via militant means.

Following this, Suhakam requested to meet the detainees but are still awaiting the green light from the police. Last week, the police had said that the commission would be allowed access to the detainees at an "appropriate time".

Playing games

Aliran criticised the police for delaying Suhakam's right to visit, saying that police had failed to explain why such access was "inappropriate and could disrupt investigations."

"Is this what the police are trying to conceal while they play games over a non-existent green light and an indeterminate appropriate time for Suhakam to visit the detainees?" questioned Aliran.

The police's reluctance to permit Suhakam's visit has aroused public suspicion that the detainees may have been mistreated, said Aliran adding that the mass media had not done its part by reporting critically on the "continued abuse of the civil rights of the detainees".

Citing the previous experiences of former ISA detainees as proof of police brutality, Aliran also questioned the validity of the authorities' assurance that detainees will not be harmed.

"The documented evidence on former ISA detainees is full of instances concerning harsh and cruel treatment while they were in the hands of the police. After (former deputy prime minister) Anwar Ibrahim received more than a black eye when he was being detained, no one should take the police and politicians' assurances at face value," said the group.

However, since last Thursday, police have permitted the families of five detainees to visit them. They are webmaster of Free Anwar Campaign website (Freeanwar.com) Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin; Keadilan leaders Dr Badrul Amin Baharom, Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor, Saari Sungib and Lokman Noor Adam.

But five other detainees, Keadilan vice-president Tian Chua, party Youth leaders N Gobalakrishnan and Abdul Ghani Haroon; human rights activist Badaruddin Ismail and social activist cum malaysiakini columnist Hishamuddin Rais, have yet to be granted such access.