The United States decision to allow special military courts to try foreigners accused of terrorism will jeopardise the rule of law and fairness, said United Nations Special Rapporteur Param Cumaraswamy today .

"Such powers strike at the core of the principles of the rule of law, equality before the law and the principles of a fair trial," said Param in an appeal to the US government.

The UN offical also expressed his concern that the order has sent wrong signals "not only in the US, but around the world".

"I am not convinced that such repressive measures curtailing the core values of the rule of law and a fair trial are necessary," he said.

On Tuesday, US President George W Bush signed an executive order to allow the trial of foreign suspects of terrorism to be conducted by military tribunals instead of civilian courts.

The order gives the president the option of delivering a terrorist suspect to the Defense Secretary who can call for the setting up of a military court if he felt that it was in the interests of national security.

Bush said the order could bring the perpetrators of terrorist attacks to justice but human rights groups have expressed concern.

Since the Sept 11 terrorist attacks, more than 1,000 people have been arrested in the US without charge. Their lawyers claim those detained are being held with little or no evidence.

The Bush administration has already pushed for legislative changes which expanded electronic surveillance and imposed stiffer penalties for harbouring and financing terrorists.

Fair trial

However, Bush also gave assurance that any individual subject to the order would be given a "full and fair trial".

But Param expressed concern over the denial of legal representation to the detainees and the absence of the detainees' rights to appeal their convictions to a higher tribunal.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad recently said the US is learning from Malaysia on how to combat terrorism.

Citing the Internal Security Act which allows for indefinite detention without trial as an example, the premier said the West which once accused him of trampling human rights is now following his footsteps.