In conjunction with the United Nations (UN) International Day in Support of Victims of Torture yesterday, a group of Malaysians handed in 9,875 postcards calling for the abolishment of the Internal Security Act (ISA) to the UN office in Kuala Lumpur today.

Seventeen delegates comprising family and friends of the six reformasi activists currently being detained under the ISA in Perak and those of former detainees Keadilan youth leader Abdul Ghani Haroon and social activist Badaruddin Ismail handed over the postcards to UN head of General Services Wu Tan Seng at the Wisma UN in Jalan Dungun in a brief ceremony.

Abolish ISA Movement (AIM) coordinator Zaid Kamaruddin, who led the delegation said, "Mr Wu acknowledged receipt of the postcards on behalf of UN Human Rights Commissioner Mary Robinson and said he would forward the postcards to her."

"He (Wu) told us she would probably receive the postcards in Geneva on Monday," Zaid told reporters after meeting Wu for about 30 minutes.

AIM, a coalition of 80 non-governmental organisations, student groups and concerned individuals has been actively campaigning for the release of the detainees and the abolishment of the ISA.

Their programme, which includes a signature campaign, awareness talks and hunger strikes, highlights the need for the government to allow the detainees a fair and open trial.

Wives' concern

On June 2, Keadilan vice-president Tian Chua, together with the party's youth leaders Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor, Saari Sungib, Lokman Nor Adam and Dr Badrul Amin Bahron was ordered to be detained by the Home Affairs minister for two years under the ISA and sent to the Kamunting detention camp in Taiping, Perak..

Also detained for two years was social activist-cum- malaysiakini columnist Hishamuddin Rais.

The six and four others, since released, were arrested on April 10 and 11 for allegedly being involved in a 'militant attempt' to overthrow the government.

It was learnt that Abdul Ghani, Badaruddin and wives of the detainees had expressed concern about the detainees' treatment in the camp to Wu during today's meeting but the latter did not respond.

Human rights group coordinator Cynthia Gabriel told malaysiakini that the only assurance Wu gave was that he would send the postcards to Robinson.

'ISA a quick means'

In his press statement, Zaid said the ISA should be abolished because it had been abused to detain Shia' followers, political dissidents, reformasi supporters and human rights activists.

"The ISA now is being used for selective persecution and a quick means to replace professional police practises such as investigations," he said.

He added the Act was inhumane because it denied detainees the right to defend themselves. They were also denied the right to their lawyers and may be detained for an indefinite period, he added.

AIM had also submitted a memorandum to the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) on Monday alleging mistreatment of the detainees.

The memorandum, endorsed by the families of six detainees said the detainees were not being allowed to fulfill their religious obligations, were denied medical attention and had been deprived of reading material.

Familes of the detainees who were present today were Ezam's wife, Bahirah Tajul Aris, Saari's wife Arliza Jaafar and Hishamuddin's uncle, Jallaludin Abdul Manaf.