Rights group says ISA a 'recipe for abuse'<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse, Kuala Lumpur<\/p>\n
Detainees in Malaysia have been beaten and humiliated under a
\nnotorious security law which is a "recipe for abuse", Human
\nRights Watch said in a new report on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The New York-based rights group compiled accounts of the abuse
\nin December 2004 of more than 25 people being held under the
\nharsh Internal Security Act (ISA), which allows for indefinite
\ndetention without trial.<\/p>\n
"Those held under the ISA are defined as a group that has
\nvirtually no rights, so it is hardly surprising that prison
\nguards treat them as less than human," said Brad Adams, executive
\ndirector of Human Rights Watch's Asia division.<\/p>\n
"Malaysia's Internal Security Act, which gives the government
\nunchecked powers to detain individuals for long periods without
\ncharge, is a recipe for abuse," the group said.<\/p>\n
Mohamad Faiq Hafidh, who has been held since January 2002,
\nsaid he had been continuously beaten at Malaysia's infamous
\nKamunting prison over two days in December.<\/p>\n
"I was handcuffed ... and my head was pushed down to waist
\nlevel. My head was struck with a baton and my eye was hit,
\ninjuring it," he said in the statement.<\/p>\n
"When I reached room seven (of the cell block), I was
\ncontinuously beaten and then forced to strip naked, ordered to
\ncrawl while entering the room and then my buttocks were kicked
\nand that was how I stumbled inside, naked," he said.<\/p>\n
Marking the 45th year the ISA has been in operation, former
\ndetainees said in August that they were routinely tortured during
\ninterrogations, stripped naked, beaten with broomsticks and
\nthreatened with rape.<\/p>\n
Pressure group Abolish ISA Movement said some detainees had
\ntheir heads bashed against the wall, needles stuck in their
\nfingernails and nails inserted into their genitals. Some were
\nforced to re-enact the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and made to
\ndrink urine, it said.<\/p>\n
Human Rights Watch said no prison officials have been
\ndisciplined following the revelations and that the government
\ndenied its requests for an interview or to visit Kamunting.<\/p>\n
"Malaysia's policy amounts to the executive branch presuming
\nthe guilt of people without charge or trial," Adams said in a
\nstatement.<\/p>\n
The United Malays National Organization (UMNO) which has ruled
\nMalaysia for nearly half a century has misused the ISA "to
\nsilence critics", resulting in the detention of more than 10,000
\npeople since 1960, he said.<\/p>\n
"Malaysia should end its use of ISA detention and rely on its
\nrobust criminal law and capable judiciary to tackle security and
\nother alleged crimes," Adams said.<\/p>\n
"Malaysia aspires to be a leader in the region and a developed
\ncountry by 2020. The ISA is not a sign of leadership or
\ndevelopment -- it is a sign of repression," he said urging the
\ngovernment to set up an independent inquiry into the allegations
\nof abuse.<\/p>\n
The ISA allows for two-year detention periods without trial,
\nwhich can be renewed indefinitely.<\/p>\n
Malaysia is currently holding over 100 people in detention
\nunder the act, more than 80 of whom are described as suspected
\nIslamic militants.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rights-group-says-isa-a-recipe-for-abuse-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}