Aliran Media Statement
Break-up of Anti-ISA Gathering Reveals Hypocrisy
Aliran is appalled that concerned, peaceful and justice-loving citizens could not meet last night to address an issue of grave injustice perpetrated by the state.
Five citizens detained illegally under the Internal Security Act in April 2001 are still languishing in prison unjustly. They are being held unlawfully.
It is not just human rights actiivists who are saying that their detentions are illegal. The highest court in the land has ruled that their detentions were mala fide (in bad faith). Their continued incarceration mocks our notion of justice and ridicules our concept of rule of law.
It is this injustice that has outraged many and prompted the family members of detainees, former detainees and the representatives of the Abolish ISA Movement (AIM) to gather at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall last night to launch the "ISA Mala Fide" campaign. This campaign was meant to highlight this flagrant violation of justice and secure the release of these innocent victims of state tyranny.
To their horror and disbelief, a large number of police and Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) personnel blocked their passage into the premises and took up positions in a threatening manner. They were there determined to prevent this peaceful gathering from taking place. We understand that ten people were even beaten by the riot police.
In all this we can't help but notice the glaring contradictions in Dr Mahathir's recent stance. He sounded incongruous when he bitterly complained that there was no democracy even in democratic countries and that there was no more justice in the world.
Aliran would like to ask Mahathir: what democracy and justice is he talking about? What democracy is he practising when ordinary citizens cannot even discuss issues affecting themselves? What justice is he screaming about when justice is denied to those detained unlawfully?
We must first honour the values we clamour for before going on a moral crusade to condemn others of conduct that we ourselves are grossly guilty of. It is high time that Mahathir is reminded that he sounds hollow and hypocritical when he takes the moral high ground that he is incapable of living up to.
All this "talk about fairplay, democracy and human rights" (in his own words) is "sheer nonsense".
P Ramakrishnan
This statement was sent to the local media including The Star, New Straits Times, and The Sun.
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