Malaysia should set out human rights record
straight when condemning the detention without trial practiced by US in
Guantanamo Bay
__________________
Media Statement
by Teresa Kok
_____________________
(Kuala
Lumpur,
Thursday) : The
statement of Parliamentary Secretary of Foreign Affairs Shabery Cheek in
Parliament yesterday that there is no demand for the abolition of the
Internal Security Act (ISA) and that ISA detention cannot be compared to
the detention in Guantanamo Bay reflects his great ignorance over the
demands made by various foreign and local organizations, including SUHAKAM
on the abolition of the Act.
Shabery Cheek said that the cruelty and grave human rights violation in
Guantanamo Bay, such as the stamping and flushing of Quran pages in the
toilet is something unheard of in ISA detention.
Shabery Cheek must have conveniently forgotten that there are sworn
affidavits from ISA detainees stating that they were forced to drink
urine, and one was stripped and made to enact the crucification of Jesus
Christ.
He told parliament the Secretary General of United Nations has demanded
the detention center in Guantanamo Bay to be closed but no demands were
made for the ISA be repealed.
The fact remains that detention at Guantanamo Bay and Kamunting Camp are
detention without trial.
I am surprised that Shabery Cheek seems ignorant that ISA has tarnished
the image of Malaysia in the international community. Many resolutions,
condemning the Malaysian government for using ISA to detain political
dissidents, have been passed in many international conventions in the
past, including Socialist International World Conference, Convention of
Council of Liberal Democrats (CALD), International Parliamentary Union (IPU)
Conference etc.
The stress and hardships suffered by detainees and their family members in
Guantanamo Bay and Kamunting Detention Camp are the same. The long
detention and mental torture suffered by the detainees have even driven
them to mental
breakdowns. This is the similarity of both Kamunting Detention Camp and
Guantanamo Bay.
While the Malaysian government has requested the US Government for a fair
trial of the two Malaysians who are suspected to be involved in the
al-Qaeda terrorism activities, we should set out human rights record
straight by repealing detention without trial under the ISA.
(29/3/2007)
*Chong Eng, MP for Bukit Mertajam and DAP Deputy Secretary General
|