[Bloggers Alert] We call on police to immediately and unconditionally release 2 arrested human rights activists.

Urgent Appeal

Police to remand two human rights defenders for leafleting at demonstration in Johor Bahru

The Police arrested 2 activists from Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) Johor Bahru branch who were leafleting at a demonstration in front of Menteri Besar's residence, Johor Bahru on 17 June 2007. The demonstration was calling for MB's attention and action on the rising crime rates in Johor Bahru.

The police said the two activists will be brought to a magistrate's court today for remand order application. Suaram condemns strongly the arbitrary arrest and remand of the human rights defenders. The police of Johor Bahru is wasting public monies in intimidating human rights defenders instead of doing their job of busting the crimes.

The two activists are Nyam Kee Han and See Siew Min. Nyam is the coordinator of Suaram's Johor Bahru branch while See Siew Min is a secretariat member of the branch. They are currently being held at the IPD Johor Bahru (Selatan) police station. The leaflet that they distributed calls for immediate setting up of the Independent Police Complaint and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), as recommended by the Royal Commission on police reform.

The Federal Constitution of Malaysia and international Human Rights law enshrine freedom of assembly, the arbitrary arrests by police is clearly an abuse of power and a persecution to activists who tried to expose the slack attitude of the police force in resolving crimes.

We call on the police to immediately and unconditionally release the 2 arrested activists.


Background

Recently, there have been increasing public outrage on the rising crimes in Johor Bahru, evidently with a series of robberies and rapes cases. A group of Johor Bahru's residents on their own initiative organized a demonstration on 17 June 2007 in front of the residence of Johor Menteri Besar. They call for the attention of the MB to take action to reduce the crime rates in JB.

The two activists attended in support of the residents and at the same time distributed a flyer calling for the setting up of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), one of the 125 recommendations of a royal commissin set up by the government to reform the police force.

When the demonstration almost ended, the police suddenly arrested the two activists.


Action Needed

Solidarity action for the two human rights defenders is urgently needed. Please state your protest against the arrest of the 2 activists and demand for the immediate release of them via faxes and phone calls to the following:


1. Johor Bahru Police Station

ASP Nor Hashim's mobile phone : +6012-7235776

CID chief of IPD Johor Bahru (Selatan)OCPD: ACP Safie bin Ismail

IPD Johor Bahru (Selatan)

Ibu pejabat Polis Daerah Johor Bahru

Polis Diraja MalaysiaJKR No.489, Jalan Meldrum, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia.

Tel: +607-2232222-27

Fax: +607-2246925


2. Tan Sri Musa Hassan

Inspector General of Police
Ibu pejabat PDRM, Bukit Aman, 50560 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Fax: +603-22731326


3. Tan Sri Abu Talib bin Othman

Chairman
National Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM), Tingkat 29, Menara Tun Razak, Jalan Raja Laut, 50350 Kuala Lumpur

Fax: +603-26125620

Email: humanrights@suhakam.org.my


For more information, please contact Moon Hui, tel: +60 3 77843525, mobile: +60 12 7209981 or suaram@suaram.net

二人新山请愿延长扣留一天
人民之声促释放人权工作者

周日（6月17日）在柔佛州新山参加大臣官邸前和平请愿集会，而被警方扣留的马来西亚人民之声（SUARAM）人权工作者严居汉和徐秀敏，今天下午被带到推事庭；警方向推事庭申请延长扣留三天，不过推事庭只批准延长一天。

今天上午，人权之声协调员郑文辉向《独立新闻在线》表示：“警方本应在11时30分就把他们带到推事庭，因为警方在11时30分就已经扣留他们足24小时，但是到现在都还没有这么做。这意味，现在警方是非法扣留。”

根据郑文辉收到的消息，警方打算向推事庭申请延长扣留严居汉与徐秀敏，而且不排除会控告两人参加非法聚会和派发煽动性传单两项罪名。

郑文辉说：“我们在一年前就派发了那些传单了，那份传单只是呼吁政府尽快成立警察投诉及行为不检独立委员会（简称IPCMC或投委会）。”

如今，警方不但在打击罪案方面办事不力，而且还在人民举行和平请愿时逮捕两名人权工作者，凸显警察滥权，这也意味着我国更迫切需要成立投委会监督警队操守及恢复警队公信力。

警方企图转移人民视线

新山居民接到手机短讯号召和耳口相传后，昨天涌到柔佛州务大臣官邸举行和平请愿，希望柔佛大臣阿都干尼关注当地治安问题。不过，到目前为止，究竟是哪个组织号召昨天的和平请愿，竟然演变成罗生门般。

新山居民一周内目睹两宗打劫及强奸案，深感治安不靖；新山中华公会甚至发动“十万火急拼治安”签名运动。截至今天下午2时36分，已有3万7562人上网连署。

郑文辉认为，警方逮捕严居汉与徐秀敏的做法是企图转移人民的视线，也可能是要向上头交代。

由于郑文辉当天没有出席这场和平请愿，他从多方出席者口中了解当时的情况。

他表示：“据我所知，当天的聚会是在早上十时开始，居汉和秀敏是在11时左右到现场，那时民众也开始要疏散了；他们一去到那里，还没有开始派传单就遭警方逮捕。我觉得警方是想要捉人了，有点引君入瓮的感觉。”

“另外，警方也向推事庭申请搜查令搜查秀敏的住处，不过，由于搜查令写错秀敏的名字，她的家人不允许警方入屋搜查。”

应无条件释放人权工作者

人民之声今日也发表文告，强烈谴责警方逮捕这两名人权工作者，并指这是警方滥权的例证。这个人权组织也促请警方尊重《联邦宪法》赋予人民的集会自由和言论自由权利，无条件释放两名人权工作者。

人民之声谴责警方滥权威胁那些尝试曝露警方打击罪案不力的人，以达到杀鸡儆猴的作用。

“在这个罪案不断飙升的时候，警方不但没有全力打击罪案，反而威胁人权工作者的行为，明显在浪费公帑。警方不但在保护人民免于恐惧的根本权利上再度失败，又滥用本身的权力来注入恐惧给公众。”

人民之声再度促请政府成立投委会，因为这是解决警方滥权日益严重的唯一途径。

此文转载自《独立新闻在线》