KL criticized for E. Timor crackdown

KL criticized for E. Timor crackdown

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Human rights group Amnesty International yesterday condemned Malaysia's crackdown on an East Timor conference in Kuala Lumpur last weekend and criticized Indonesia for interrogating deportees.

The London-based human rights watchdog also chastised Australia for refusing to condemn the arrests of more than 100 participants, about half of whom were foreigners who were later deported.

The organization called for the "immediate and unconditional release of the 18 Malaysians remaining in police custody," and expressed concern that "some of the detainees appear to have been denied access to lawyers while in custody."

Kuala Lumpur had banned the meeting to preserve good ties with Jakarta, which integrated the former Portuguese colony of East Timor in 1975.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard on Sunday described the detention of about 10 Australians in Malaysia as unfortunate but said they had broken the country's rules by attending a banned conference.