[asia-apec 740] Re: Amnesty International News Release on Malaysia

[Lyuba Zarsky, Co-Director]

I would really like to see Amnesty raise a protest againt the anti-sodomy
laws in Malaysia--heinous in their own right on human rights grounds,
represensible as a cover for political repression. 
Lyuba Zarsky

At 10:59 AM 9/22/98 +0100, you wrote:
>AI INDEX: ASA 28/20/98News Service: 184/98
>21 September 1998 -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>
>Malaysia: Amnesty International calls for Anwar to be charged promptly or
>released
>
>The Malaysian authorities should promptly charge Anwar Ibrahim and his
>political associates,
>detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA), with a recognised criminal
>offence or release them,
>Amnesty International said today.
>
>     "In light of the events leading up to their arrest, and the past
>misuse of the ISA for political
>purposes, Amnesty International is concerned that Anwar Ibrahim and the
>other detainees are
>being held solely because of their critical political views and are
>possible prisoners of conscience",
>the organization said
>
>     "The use of the ISA seems to indicate that authorities are more intent
> on pursuing a
>political agenda than on conducting an independent criminal investigation
>leading to fair and
>open trials."
>
>     The worldwide human rights organization also called on the government
>to respect the
>right of Malaysians to  peaceful assembly, and for the police to exercise
>the maximum restraint in
>their treatment demonstrators. More than 50 demonstrators are reported to
>have been arrested in
>recent days and their whereabouts and welfare remain unclear.
>
>
>     Those arrested with Anwar over the weekend include the head of the
>youth wing of the
>ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, and
>four senior
>members of ABIM, a Muslim youth organization.
>
>     "The improper release into the public domain of untested court
>affidavits alleging Anwar?s
>involvement in a series of criminal offences, which was then followed not
>by charges, but by the
>application of the ISA -- allowing indefinite detention without trial --
>raises serious questions about
>the government?s real motivations", Amnesty International said.
>
>     Under the ISA police are empowered to arrest without a warrant any
>person suspected of
>acting in ?any manner prejudicial to the security of Malaysia...or the
>economic life thereof? and to
>question them for a period of up to sixty days before a Minister signs a
>detention order of up to two
>years, renewable indefinitely. Detention orders are not open to judicial
>review and habeas corpus
>petitions have proved ineffective.
>
>     Amnesty International has repeatedly protested the application of the
>ISA as falling short of
>international standards on the right to fair trial, and the right to
>peacefully express opinion free from
>the threat of arbitrary arrest and detention.
>
>...\ENDS
>
>
>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lyuba Zarsky
Director
Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainable Development
ph:+1 510.204.9296
fax:+1 510.204.9298
e-mail: lzarsky at nautilus.org
http://www.nautilus.org