Rights group blasts Malaysian sect arrests

Rights group blasts Malaysian sect arrests

BANGKOK (Reuter): A Thai human-rights group yesterday condemned the arrest in Malaysia of members of a Islamic sect deported from Thailand last week.

Thailand's Union of Civil Liberty (UCL), in an open letter to Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, appealed for the immediate release of the Al Arqam sect members, some of whom, including leader Ashaari Muhammad, are being held under Malaysia's tough Internal Security Act.

The call from the UCL came as criticism mounted over Thailand's role in the expulsion of the seven Al Arqam members. The UCL said the arrest of the seven was an infringement of internationally accepted human-rights norms.

"According to international human-rights principles and freedom of religion and worship ... the authorities have no right or justification to interfere in the religious affairs of this group," the letter said.

The Al Arqam members had their passports revoked by Malaysia and were then seized by Thai officials in a northern Thai province last Friday.

Ashaari, who had lived in self-imposed exile in Thailand since 1988 when Malaysia first banned his teachings, was taken away alone, flown to southern Thailand and driven to the Thai- Malaysian border.

There he was held by Malaysian police under the Internal Security Act, which allows police to detain individuals for up to two years without trial.

The other six were expelled to Kuala Lumpur on Saturday where several of them were also detained.

The UCL demanded the unconditional release of Ashaari and his followers.

Meanwhile, a dean at Bangkok's prestigious Thammasat University joined a chorus of criticism over the expulsion of the Al Arqam members.

"The Thai government has bowed to pressure from a neighboring country and ignored basic principles of human rights," Charnvit Kasetsiri told reporters yesterday.

Earlier this week, Thailand's deputy interior minister criticized the police for their part in the detention and subsequent expulsion of the seven sect members.

Deputy Interior Minister Den Tohmeena, a Moslem from southern Thailand, said he was seeking an explanation for the police action from the national police chief, General Pratin Santiprapop.

Den told reporters the police overstepped their authority in facilitating the expulsion of the seven.