Malaysia
04.08.00
Urgent Interventions
Malaysia: arrest and ill-treatment of demonstrators
Case MYS 040800
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Malaysia.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by Aliran, a member of the OMCT network, that 7 persons were arrested by police and one man severely beaten during a demonstration today, 4th August 2000, outside the magistrate court.
The demonstration was to show support for the former deputy prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, whose verdict on his sodomy trial was supposed to handed down this morning, (although it had been postponed by the judge yesterday), and to show support and follow the trial of about 30 others who had previously been charged for illegal assembly.
During the demonstration of about 200 people, the following persons were arrested:
i. Lokman Noor Adam, keADILan youth exco member,
ii. N Gopalakrishnan, keADILan youth exco member
iii. A young man identified only as Munawar,
iv. An activist, Munasufian,
v. Norazimah Mohd Noor,
vi. Zainab Rahmah,
vii. A woman identified only as Rahimah
The official charges for their detention are reportedly unknown.
According to Aliran, Lokman Noor Adam was beaten and punched by five plainclothes men. At one point he was reportedly lying in the middle of the road and being kicked amidst a busy flow of traffic. He was then later detained by police.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Malaysia urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the above-mentioned persons and order their immediate release in the absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
ii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these arrests and reported acts of violence in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
iii. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses
Datuk Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Home Minister, Jalan Dato Onn, 50502, Kuala Lumpur MALAYSIA
Fax : +603 2301051
Ybhg. Tan Sri Musa Hitam, Chairperson, Malaysian National Human Rights Commission, c/- Kementerian Luar Negeri, Wisma Putra 50602, Kuala Lumpur MALAYSIA Fax: +603 2425043
Tan Sri Norian Mai, Inspector General of Police, Headquarters of Royal Police of Malaysia, Bukit Aman, 50560 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, Fax: 603-22731326
Geneva, August 4, 2000
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Malaysia.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by Aliran, a member of the OMCT network, that 7 persons were arrested by police and one man severely beaten during a demonstration today, 4th August 2000, outside the magistrate court.
The demonstration was to show support for the former deputy prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, whose verdict on his sodomy trial was supposed to handed down this morning, (although it had been postponed by the judge yesterday), and to show support and follow the trial of about 30 others who had previously been charged for illegal assembly.
During the demonstration of about 200 people, the following persons were arrested:
i. Lokman Noor Adam, keADILan youth exco member,
ii. N Gopalakrishnan, keADILan youth exco member
iii. A young man identified only as Munawar,
iv. An activist, Munasufian,
v. Norazimah Mohd Noor,
vi. Zainab Rahmah,
vii. A woman identified only as Rahimah
The official charges for their detention are reportedly unknown.
According to Aliran, Lokman Noor Adam was beaten and punched by five plainclothes men. At one point he was reportedly lying in the middle of the road and being kicked amidst a busy flow of traffic. He was then later detained by police.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Malaysia urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the above-mentioned persons and order their immediate release in the absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
ii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these arrests and reported acts of violence in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
iii. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses
Datuk Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Home Minister, Jalan Dato Onn, 50502, Kuala Lumpur MALAYSIA
Fax : +603 2301051
Ybhg. Tan Sri Musa Hitam, Chairperson, Malaysian National Human Rights Commission, c/- Kementerian Luar Negeri, Wisma Putra 50602, Kuala Lumpur MALAYSIA Fax: +603 2425043
Tan Sri Norian Mai, Inspector General of Police, Headquarters of Royal Police of Malaysia, Bukit Aman, 50560 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, Fax: 603-22731326
Geneva, August 4, 2000
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.