PRESS STATEMENT.
RELEASE IMMEDIATELY ALL DETAINED UNDER ISA.
Tenaganita condemns the detention of leaders of
KeADILan under the ISA. We demand the
immediate release of the seven detained under this draconian law as it violates
fundamental rights of persons and our Malaysian constitution.
The organization is shocked at the ridiculous
statement made by Norian Mai, the Inspector General of Police. The statement accuses the seven leaders as
being involved in attempts to get explosives, including grenade launchers and
bombs and trying to get the support of ‘silat’ leaders and some members of the
armed forces. This indeed only reflects how unprofessional and irresponsible
the police force has become.
All reformasi assemblies have been peaceful. The rakyat, especially those who have been
present and have seen with their own eyes will vouch that the assemblies have
been peaceful. But such assemblies have
only gone out of hand when the police have used force and brutality as well as water canons. This became clear when Suhakam (the Human
Rights Commission) conducted hearings to the Kesas Highway gathering held
recently. The Inspector General of
Police has to be corrected and reminded that it is in fact police brutality and
not the peaceful assembly of the rakyat that is the problem. In fact, the agent provocateurs were
used to discredit the reformasi
movement.
The time is long overdue for the police force to
take a deep hard look at themselves so that they become professional in
carrying out their duties. And to begin
with the IGP has to set his records correct.
The police cannot be allowed to concoct far-fetched accusations in order
to detain people without trial. Let us
remind the police force that they exist to protect the rights of people and
ensure peace exists in our society in a professional way by respecting
fundamental rights.
The handing over of the Memorandum Rakyat to SUHAKAM
is a very simple democratic way of entering into a dialogue with the Human
Rights Commission to ensure people’s rights are upheld and promoted. SUHAKAM, in its response has accepted the
appointment, time and date to receive the Memorandum. Why is Norain Mai and the Home Ministry so jittery and overly
sensitive about this Memorandum of the Rakyat?
In fact a clean, honest and transparent government will not be worried
over such a simple democratic action.
After all SUHAKAM was formed by this government to protect and promote
rights of people. It is a mechanism
that will advise the government. The
police by calling on the rakyat not to come forward for the handing over of the
Memorandum is in fact contradicting the
objectives of the Human Rights
Commission and thus Norain Mai is insulting SUHAKAM.
Norain Mai should now apologise to SUHAKAM, the
Human Rights Commission, retract his statement and warning to the rakyat on
their presence at the handing over of the Memorandum .
Tenaganita congratulates SUHAKAM for their firm
stand in asking for the release of those detained under the ISA and appreciates
their efforts in seeking access to the detainees . The government must respect the call made by SUHAKAM to release
all detained, if it wants to show its sincerity in protecting human rights.
Irene Fernandez
Director
Tenaganita.