Bersih chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah is such a strong woman that nobody can break her.

Even if she is detained for 28 years, says Bersih treasurer Thomas Fann.

"You don't know Maria. We know her. She's a strong woman, a very strong woman.

"I don't think they can break Maria, even if they keep her for 28 days, or two years, or even 28 years," Fann told Malaysiakini after last night's candlelight vigil outside the Johor Baru Selatan police station.

Maria was detained on the eve of the Nov 19 Bersih 5 rally, under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 or Sosma.

The police are being accused of using sleep deprivation, disorientation, degrading treatment and other techniques of torture on the Bersih leader.

To a question, Fann said it is likely that the police are trying to coerce Maria to confess that Bersih is working to unseat the government illegally, with the support of the Open Society Foundations, which is linked to American billionaire George Soros.

"Sure, from what we hear so far, the line of questioning of the other (detained) activists revolved around money, allegedly, that we are funded by Soros and other foreign funds."

However, Fann said, Bersih has kept the documents of all the sources of funding and therefore, the electoral reform movement does not fear the government propaganda.

Umno information chief Annuar Musa made a claim yesterday that Maria had links with the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Malaysiakini also asked Fann about a more pessimistic view, that the government's use of Sosma is a dress rehearsal, because mass arrests may become necessary if the 14th general election, expected next year, produces a close result.

'Malaysians not easily cowed'

"That's a real possibility. They abuse Sosma, they show total disregard for the law, so I wouldn't rule that out at all," he said.

"But certainly, the Malaysian public have shown they are not easily cowed or bullied. Each Bersih rally showed us that the more they threaten us, the more the Malaysian people will rise up.

"With this action against Maria, I'd say they've just helped us to take it to the next level of our struggle. It's a huge mistake on the part of the authorities to think that this will push us into a corner."

Fann said Bersih, together with Suaram and other NGOs, are driving a long-term campaign to free Maria and abolish Sosma.

"This campaign extends beyond our borders, and we're reaching out to the international community.

Asked about the silence thus far of diplomats from the US and other developed nations, Fann said: "We're still in the early days, we will wait and see.

"If, after 10 days or two weeks, there's still no word from the US, many people will be very disappointed, that a so-called champion of democracy and human rights is not speaking up against this very obvious, gross violation of human rights."

Fann shook hands with several protesters in yellow, and repeated: "Maria is a very strong person. The question is, will we remain strong for her?"