FAC News - Saturday, June 15, 2002 9:46 AM

Kamunting 6 asks clarification from SUHAKAM

The “Kamunting 6” - National Justice Party Youth Leader Ezam Mohd Nor, Dr Badrulamin Bahron, Saari Sungib, Tian Chua, Lokman Noor Adam and Hishamuddin Rais - have written to Malaysia’s Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM) seeking clarification on the Public Inquiry planned for Tuesday, 18 June 2002.

The letter, which was sent through their solicitors, Daim and Gamany, said, “We are writing to seek written clarification whether this public inquiry, besides covering the conditions of detainees at Kamunting Detention Centre, will also cover the detention of ISA detainees during their 60 days detention period.”

The letter added, “Our clients have instructed us to inform you that any public inquiry solely restricted to the conditions of ISA detainees at Kamunting Detention camp and not to their first 60 days detention is deemed to be not bona fide of a human rights violation investigation.”

“As such, if your inquiry is limited to the conditions at the Kamunting Detention Camp, we are instructed by our clients to inform you that they will not participate in this inquiry as it would be a waste of time and a dereliction of your duty.”

(Full text of the letter can be read here).

For 11 days from Wednesday, 10 April 2002, to Sunday, 21 April 2002, the six and 15 Reformasi activists conducted a hunger strike to demand that they either be released immediately and unconditionally, or be brought to trial if there is any evidence of them having committed a crime.

They also demanded that SUHAKAM conduct a PUBLIC INQUIRY into the ISA detentions and that Anwar Ibrahim be allowed medical treatment overseas for his spinal injury, as recommended by the panel of doctors who had examined him almost TWO YEARS AGO.

SUHAKAM has announced that it will be holding a three-day public inquiry commencing 18 June 2002 as demanded, but it will not be with regards to the ISA detentions. It will be only to assess the treatment of the detainees such as the conditions of their detention, visitation rights, refusal by the authorities to allow them to fulfill their religious obligations and, probably, whether they should be given conjugal visits, and so on.

The hunger strike was suspended on 21 April 2002 to allow SUHAKAM time to conduct this inquiry as promised. If the inquiry does not cover the aspects of the ISA arrests and detentions but just the conditions in Kamunting, then the six may boycott the inquiry.