Suaram claims that the detainess are determined to continue with their strike until the government sets them free.
PETALING JAYA: Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees have gone on a hunger strike demanding their immediate release.
In a statement today, rights group Suaram said it was informed by the
detainees’ families that some of them had been on a hunger strike for
the past four days, with more detainees joining in.
“The detainees do not understand why they are still being detained at
the Kamunting detention camp when the ISA has already been repealed. If
the government has no evidence against them, they should release them.
“According to the families, the detainees demanded for their
immediate and unconditional release or else they will continue with the
hunger strike until the government releases them.”
Suaram’s executive director E Nalini told FMT that the number of detainees going on hunger strike was increasing.
“Some started last week. We are getting reports that some even started yesterday. So the numbers are increasing,” she said.
The draconian law which had been in place since Independence was laid
to rest last month when the Security Offences (Special Measures) Bill
was passed in the Dewan Rakyat. The new Bill still had to be passed by
the Dewan Negara and approved by the king before it comes into effect.
Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak had said that the new Bill would not
affect current detainees. Their fate, added the premier, would be
determined by Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein.
Hishammuddin said that he would personally look through each case to determine if a detainee should be charged in court.
“… [it is] very important to relook at those who are presently being
detained to see whether it is possible for us to release them as quickly
as possible,” he had said on April 17.
Since then, there had been no updates on the matter.
Suaram urged both Hishammuddin and the Malaysian Human Rights
Commission (Suhakam) to make an immediate visit to Kamunting to
determine the condition of those on hunger strike.
Besides demanding for the detainees to be tried in court, Suaram also
urged the public to write letters voicing their concern for these
detainees.
The letters ahould be addressed to Najib, Hishammuddin, Suhakam
chairman Hasmy Agam and United Nations officials Navanethem Pillay (UN
High Commissioner for Human Rights), El Hadji Malick Sow (chair of UN
group on arbitrary detention) and Christine Chung (UN commissioner for
the Asia Pacific region).
No comments:
Post a Comment