FAC News - Saturday, June 15, 2002 9:18 AM

Our Ref : SR/L. 7136/01

14 June 2002

The Commissioner

Human Rights Commission Malaysia

29th Floor, Menara Tun Razak

Jalan Raja Laut

50350 Kuala Lumpur

By Fax:03-26125620

Dear Sir,

RE: INQUIRY BY SUHAKAM  ON ISA DETAINEES AT KAMUNTING ON JUNE 18, 2002

We act for the following clients/detainees:-

1.         Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor

2.         Hishamuddin bin Rais

3.         Chua Tian Chang

4.         Saari bin Sungib

5.         Badrulamin bin Bahron

6.         Lokman bin Noor Adam

We write to inform you that the families of the abovenamed clients/detainees have brought to our attention the announcement made in Malaysiakini on 13.6.2002 that the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) will be holding a public inquiry into the conditions of Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees in Taiping next week.

We further wish to inform you that we have also received instructions from our clients of this pending visit by Suhakam when we visited them at Kamunting detention centre on Monday, 11.6.2002. We note from the announcement in Malaysiakini that Suhakam intends to hold an inquiry into the conditions of detainees at Kamunting Detention Centre.

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.

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.

We would appreciate if you are able to confirm if this inquiry will include the first 60 days of the detention as our clients wish to assist in the inquiry with the presence of their lawyers holding a  watching brief over the proceedings.

Kindly let us have your written response as soon as possible for us to communicate to our clients via the camp authorities.

In view of your three-day  inquiry beginning on June 18, 2002, you would of course understand the urgency in this matter.

Thank you. 

Yours faithfully,

M/S DAIM & GAMANY

..................................

M. Moganambal