UPDATE (MALAYSIA): Detention of activists, political leaders

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME

Urgent Appeal Case: UP-05-2001
ISSUES: Arbitrary arrest & detention,

Dear Friends,

Regarding the arrest of ten Malaysian activists and political leaders, We’re sending you updated news and the following letter received from one of our Malaysian friend who is struggling to launch Anti-ISA campaign as well as to release detainees. This letter clearly shows us that what’s going on and what kind of things they request of you.

According to news resource, two of detainees, Mr. Abdul Gahni Harun, Keadialan (National Justice Party) Youth central committee member and Mr. N Gobala Krishnan, Youth Secretary General of Keadialan, won a victory in their legal fight against their detention without trial when a judge ruled they should be present in court at the proceedings.

We also urge you to join the ‘Abolish ISA’ campaign and organize demonstrations against ISA in your country.

Thank you.

In solidarity

Urgent Appeal Desk

Asian Human Rights Commission
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Dear friends,

Thank you for your concern. Thanks to those friends who are organized, participated the picket and endorsed the statement. Life is very tiring and disappointing. I’m very busy for abolishing the ISA campaign at the movement. Up to this moment, I have no news of Tian Chua at all. He was arrested by the police under ISA on 10th of April. For the past 3 weeks, I’ve been running between the police headquarter, high court, our lawyer, national human rights commission and all the forums in different part of the country. Unfortunately, with all those effort, we still have no access to Tian. As you all know he was beaten up by the police at every arrest, I’m extremely worrying about his well-being. We have tried all means to demand for access to the detainees, the police simply ignored our requests and did not response to the families at all. Such a unprofessional police force!
The oppositional parties, 75 NGOs and the families of the detainees formed a committee and launch the abolishing ISA campaign on 30 of April. 3 thousands people came for the launching and all in high spirit. The committee of the campaign announced that there would be a road show in every part of the country to deliver the information of the campaign. The aim of the road show is trying breakthrough the media control. Here, the government controls all the media, you can not find any news of the oppositional party or news of the democratic movement. We also have a postcard signature campaign. Friends can also go to AI web-site, they have started a internet signature campaign on against torture on the ISA detainees. They have already collect over 100000 signatures, please join.
I’m in BKK at the moment. There will be a forum on ISA tomorrow, I will speak at the forum on behalf of the detainees’ families. I hope I can mobilized the NGO to hold another demo on the 10 of May, that is one month of the arrest. In fact, this is the idea from SUARAM, a human rights NGO in KL. Since Mahatir control all the media and scare the people by using ISA, we hope that friends from other part of the world can send solidarity to the Malaysian by organizing demo in front of the Malaysia embassy on 30th day and the 60th day of the arrest (of course I hope Tian will not be detain for so long). I remembered the rural folks were so happy when I show them the photo of the HK demo. It is very encouraging. The rural folks begin to understand it is also their responsibility to fight against the dictator. I, here, sincerely hope that friends from HK can organize another solidarity action on 10 of May. Please inform me the detail if you are going to organize any action.
Solidarity
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Please contact the Urgent Appeals coordinator if you require more

information or wish to report human rights violations.

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AHRC Urgent Appeals Programme

Asian Human Rights Commission

Unit D, 7th Floor, Mongkok Commercial Centre,

16 – 16B Argyle Street, Kowloon, HONGKONG

Tel: +(852) – 2698-6339

Fax: +(852) – 2698-6367

E-mail: ua@ahrchk.org
*** Please send a copy of your letter to AHRC Urgent Appeals:

Email:

Fax: +(852) – 26986367

Please contact the Urgent Appeals coordinator if you require more

information or wish to report human rights violations.

===========================================================

AHRC Urgent Appeals Programme

Asian Human Rights Commission

Unit D, 7th Floor, Mongkok Commercial Centre,

16 – 16B Argyle Street, Kowloon, HONGKONG

Tel: +(852) – 2698-6339

Fax: +(852) – 2698-6367

E-mail: ua@ahrchk.org

Please contact the AHRC Urgent Appeals Coordinator if you require

further information or to make requests for further appeals.
 

Document Type : Urgent Appeal Update
Document ID : UP-05-2001
Countries : Malaysia,
Issues : Arbitrary arrest & detention,