Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (GMI) condemns the statement of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Foreign Ministry Ahmad Shabery Cheek that ” issues related to the violation of human rights at the Guantanamo Bay, which has been condemned by the world, are something unheard of in the context of the ISA” as published in Bernama(28 March 2007).

First of all, the Internal Security Act (ISA), which was enacted in 1960, allows and provides for arbitrary arrest and detention without trial for an indefinite period. Under the ISA, detainees can be held for up to 60 days in secret locations and in solitary confinement, often in a windowless cell where they lose all sense of time and are at risk of torture and other ill-treatment. Detainees have been assaulted, forced to strip, deprived of sleep, food and water, told that their families would be harmed, and subjected to prolonged aggressive interrogation to force confessions or obtain information from them.

GMI wishes to reiterate that various local and international organizations including National Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), have recognized that the ISA which allows violence, torture, humiliation and indefinite detention without trial is a violation of fundamental human rights.

Secondly, GMI is appalled with the claim that “there have been demands from various human rights groups as well as the United Nations for the Guantanamo to be closed but no one has asked for the ISA to be abolished”. This is a blatant lie! GMI views the statement by Ahmad Shabery Cheek as an ignorant and arrogant attempt to justify continuous use of the draconian ISA. Since 2001, Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (Abolish ISA Movement, GMI) a coalition of 83 NGO’s and community groups have been actively campaigning against ISA. Numerous reports and memorandums have been handed over to Suhakam, the PM’s office and the Internal Affairs Ministry to abolish ISA.

GMI strongly urge the Government not to apply double standards while calling for fair trials for the Malaysians in Guantanamo yet ignoring the right to trial for those who have been detained under the ISA in Malaysia. “Emergency” laws in Malaysia disregard human rights and violate the safeguards contained in the Federal Constitution and international human rights law.

We call on the Malaysian government to immediately repeal the ISA and return the legitimate rights of the people to fair and open trial.

Abolish ISA!

Release All ISA Detainees!!

Close Down Kamunting Detention Camp!!!

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