The hunger strike by more than 100 inmates at the Semenyih immigration detention centre in Selangor ended at noon today after assurances were made by the authorities to improve the camp's conditions.

According to the leader of the 139 strikers, the three-day-old strike was terminated after officials of the camp and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) agreed to meet five demands for better conditions wanted by the inmates.

"They have agreed to our demands in an agreement letter we wrote. However, if these conditions are not kept, we will resume the strike and this time around we will not return to our cell blocks like we did," said the leader, who identified himself only as Nasir, in a telephone interview.

However, UNHCR chief Volker Turk said there was no agreement signed but his officers present at the camp this morning had accepted a letter addressed to Turk drafted by the strikers and detailing their grievances.

"I have yet to receive or have a look at the letter as my officers have gone to another camp before retuning to the office," said Turk when contacted at 2.30pm.

He added that there was nothing to agree about with the strikers but gave an assurance that he would read their letter and respond to it.

"UNHCR promised a letter in response but we cannot be forced to sign any agreement arising from those on hunger strikes," he said acknowledging that he had a vague idea of what the contents of the letter was.

Basic amenities

Nasir told malaysiakini that among the conditions set out in the letter were that special medical attention be given to the group and that the UN agency monitor the camp's living conditions - once decribed by a local daily in an expose as a 'hell hole' - as well as expedite their repatriation.

"The conditions are that they (UNHCR) will expedite our repatriation to a country other than our homelands and that (the agency) will provide us with basic amenities and provide special medical attention to us once a week," said Nasir.

Speaking on behalf of those who ended the strike, Nasir also said he asked UNHCR officials to visit the camp once a week and to monitor the situation by interviewing them on each visit.

Turk, meanwhile, repeated his stand that hunger strikes were not 'a positive move' as they would be detrimental to the health of the inmates as well as deprive the UNHCR of time that could be better spent on conducting work that would benefit refugees and asylum seekers.

"The UNHCR however sympathises with the concerns of people who are vulnerable and we gave them our assurance that we will do our very best to try and resolve their problems," he added.

Fighting, poor food

The group at the Semenyih centre had been on strike since 7am on Monday to protest against their 'horrendous' living conditions, including overcrowding and filthy toilets.

"We are not criminals but people looking for protection as we come from countries where there is unrest. Here in the camp we are subjected to toilets that are full of faeces as are often not cleaned due to a shortage of water," revealed Nasir.

He said the quality of the food they received was poor and non-nutritious and the lack of space in the camp often caused bloody fights amongst detainees.

Deputy Internal Security Minister Noh Omar was today quoted in the press as saying the group were on strike because they were unhappy with their long wait to be repatriated and not with the situation in the camp.

The Semenyih immigration detention centre, which houses 1,540 detainees, is now under the authority of the prisons department and no longer under the jurisdiction of the immigration department.

The hunger strikers - mostly from Aceh, Burma, Afghanistan and Nepal - were nearing extreme stages of exhaustion with 18 collapsing this morning after two had fainted yesterday.