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.