In protest of the indefinite detention without trial under the Internal Security Act (ISA) and to demand their immediate release from ISA, ISA detainees who are currently held at the Kamunting Detention Camp located in the northern part of Malaysia have launched a hunger strike since four (4) days ago. SUARAM has been informed by the family members of the detainees.

According to the family, the detainees demanded for their immediate and unconditional release or else they will continue with the hunger strike until the government release them. The detainees do not understand why they are still detained in Kamunting while the ISA has already been repealed. If the government have no evidences against the detainees, they should release them. To this date, none of them were charged or tried in court since their detention. The government has also failed to provide any evidence to substantiate its accusations against these detainees.

We urge the Home Minister and Malaysian Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM) to make an immediate visit to Kamunting to ascertain the condition of the detainees. Both parties should make a public statement based on their findings.

SUARAM urges the Home Ministry to charge the detainees in an open court to resolve the hunger strike crisis and release them immediately.

Action needed
We urge you to write a letter to the relevant authorities of Malaysia to voice your concerns over the impending hunger strike of the detainees.

SAMPLE LETTER

Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak,
Prime Minister of Malaysia,
Prime Minister’s Office,
Main Block, Perdana Putra Building,
Federal Government Administrative Centre,
62502 Putrajaya , MALAYSIA
Tel: 603-8888 8000
Fax: 603-8888 3444
E-Mail: ppm pmo.gov.my

Dear Sir,

Re: Release All ISA Detainees Now and End the Hunger Strike Now

We are writing to you, once again, to express our outrage and our strongest condemnation over your government’s continued detention of detainees under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

We demand your government

a. To release the detainees immediately or charge them in an open and competent court to resolve the hunger strike crisis.

b. Ensure the wellbeing of the detainees that are participating in the hunger strike and ensure medical support are in place in the detention camp throughout the duration of the hunger strike.

c. To stop bringing shame to Malaysia, a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council. We would like to remind you that right to fair trial is guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as the Federal Constitution of Malaysia.

We also would like to call on the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM) to intervene and restore democracy and human rights. We call on the SUHAKAM to commission a medical team immediately with qualified doctors to visit the camp and to conduct a medical check-up on the detainees in order to ascertain if they are not in critical condition. SUHAKAM should issue a public statement based on the result of the medical check-up and the opinions of medical experts as a credible source of information.

We further urge the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to voice concerns over the hunger strike to the Malaysian government and take immediate action to avoid death of detainees in the hunger strike.

Yours sincerely,
[Name]
[Position]

Cc To:

1. Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin bin Tun Hussein
Malaysian Minster of Home Affairs
Ministry of Home Affairs
Blok D1 & D2, Kompleks D
Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan
62546 Putrajaya
Tel: +603 8886 8000
Fax: +603 8889 1613

2. Tan Sri Hasmy Agam,
Chairman,
Malaysian Human Rights Commission,
Level 11, Menara TH Perdana,
Jalan Sultan Ismail,
50250 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03 26125600
Fax: 03 26125620

3. Ms. Navanethem Pillay
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Palais des nations
8-14 avenue de la Paix,
CH 1211 Geneve,
Switzerland
Fax : (41) 229170213
Email: webadmin.hchr unog.ch

4. Mr. El Hadji Malick SOW (Senegal)
Chair-Rapporteur
Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
c/o Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations Office at Geneva
8-14, avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Fax: +41 22 9179006
Email: wgad ohchr.org

5. Christine Chung,
Human Rights Officer,
Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights,
Asia Pacific Section, Asia Pacific and Middle East Branch,
Field Operation & Technical Cooperation,
OHCHR- Palais Wilson,
United Nationas Office at Geneva,
CH-1211 Geneva 10,
Switzerland.
Tel: +41 (0) 229289673Fax: +41 (0) 22928 9018
Email: cchung ohchr.org

6. Mr Kamal Malhotra,
United Nations Resident Coordinator for Malaysia
UNDP Resident Representative for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam
Email: registry.my undp.org

(Please cc. a copy of your letter to the above authorities to SUARAM at suaram suaram.net or to righttotrial suaram.net for our documentation purposes).

Released by,
Nalini Elumalai
Executive Director
SUARAM

Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM)
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Malaysia
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