Torture and other ill-treatment in the 'war on terror' in Malaysia

In most cases, torture and ill-treatment of ISA detainees take place during the initial 60-day investigation period. 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 coerce confessions or elicit information. During this period, ISA detainees are usually held in solitary confinement, often in a windowless cell where they lose all sense of time. Within a context of actual or threatened physical assault, the interrogation procedure is designed to induce a feeling of complete disorientation and dependence on the interrogators as the only point of human contact. The sense of helplessness is exacerbated by their knowledge that access to effective judicial protection has been blocked, and that visits by lawyers and family members are entirely at the discretion of their interrogators.

Within the context of the "war on terror", fears that suspected Islamist militants may be particularly vulnerable to torture and ill-treatment are acute. In 2004, 31 ISA detainees accused of links to terrorism lodged complaints with SUHAKAM of ill-treatment during their initial 60-day ISA detention period.

• Abdul Razak bin Abdul Hamid (arrested in December 2002) reported that he had been
  stripped naked, beaten by his interrogators and forced to drink water poured onto the floor.

• Mohidin Shaari (arrested in December 2002) and Azman Hashim (arrested in February 2003) described how they were stripped naked, kicked and verbally abused.
  

• Sulaiman Suramin (arrested in June 2003) claimed he was stripped, sexually humiliated and forced to kiss rubbish and cigarette ash.
  

Four of the 31 complainants also reported they were forced to describe how they made love to their wives. Among other allegations were: being hit across the face with a newspaper; spat at and forced to drink the spittle; and being forced to sit in the cold blast of air conditioners during interrogation.

Amnesty International remains gravely concerned that the Malaysian authorities have repeatedly failed to investigate effectively reports of torture or ill-treatment of ISA detainees by police. Even though there has been greater scrutiny of the treatment and detention conditions of ISA detainees in recent years due to the efforts of SUHAKAM and local non-governmental organizations, there are continued grave fears that the safeguards against torture and ill-treatment remain weak or ineffective.

CONCLUSION: DEMOLISH ISA IN  MALAYSIA!

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