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.