From: "John Hutnyk" <John.Hutnyk at gold.ac.uk> Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2001 3:35 AM Subject: Malaysia anti-ISA campaign
Folks,
A friend of mine, Tian Chua, a former overseas student who is now deputy leader of the Keadilan Opposition Party in Malaysia has been imprisoned for 50 days in Malaysia under the ISA (Internal Security Act = a law introduced by the British to suppress the communist insurgency in the 40s and 50s). On the weekend Tian was sent to Kamunting Detention Centre under a two year detention order signed by Home Minister. No trial, no charges (though accused of trying to buy a grenade launcher - pah!). This is how dissent is managed in 'postcolonial' Malaysia.
There is a demonstration in London this friday:
The Malaysian High Commission 45-46 Belgrave Square
2:00-3:00 pm, Fri June 8.
I can't attend at that time because I work for the a teaching machine, so I am collecting statements from people of note/organisations/publications and will send them along/post them on the web. Below, after the press release, is one I 'collected' from William Burroughs - ok, it was in a book, but... I've others from Gayatri Spivak and more on the way...
The press release for the demo with more details is below, and a discussion list has been set up (e-mail: AIM_UK at excite.com) to which you can send further messages of support or join in discussion.
Thanks heaps Be well John
******1. Press Release for demo *******2. Uncle Bill
________________ 1.
Press Release: AIM-UK (Abolish ISA Movement - United Kingdom)
June 4, 2001
International protest: Political opponents jailed for two years without trial in Malaysia
AIM-UK strongly condemns the Malaysian government's decision over the weekend to further detain four political and social activists under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for two years without trial. The four were detained along with six others as part of a government clampdown in the face of mounting political opposition in the country.
The four - Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor (National Youth Chief of National Justice Party), Saari Sungib (Chairperson of the April 14 People Memorandum Rally), Hishamuddin Rais (journalist and social activist) and Tian Chua (Vice-President, National Justice Party) - have been sent to Kamunting Detention Centre under a two year detention order signed by Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi who previously denied ordering the arrests. Of the remaining detainees two were released through a habeas corpus application, one was released by the police and three are of unknown status.
The use of the ISA represents a violation of human rights as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and by targeting opposition members, critics and social activists, it also undermines the democratic process. As part of international protests taking place in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Sydney, AIM-UK will stage a demonstration in London at:
The Malaysian High Commission 45-46 Belgrave Square
2:00-3:00 pm, Fri June 8.
For details contact Jeffrey Tan, tel: 0207 837 8888 ext 5925 or e-mail: AIM_UK at excite.com
********************************** 2. Subject:
[AIM-UK] Burroughs on Mahathir
Date:
Thu, 31 May 2001 15:59:45 +0000
From:
John Hutnyk <john.hutnyk at gold.ac.uk>
Reply-To:
The elegantly wasted, and heavily armed, pensioner, literary innovator and painter, William S. Burroughs kept a journal for the last 9 months of his life and it was recently published.
The entry for December 30th 1996 discusses the war on drugs as a war on dissent - the law of prohibition becoming an excuse to police thought-crime of all sorts. It will not surprise some to read that Burroughs' text is critical of the death penalty in Malaysia:
"And he - Mahathir Mohammed, Prime Minister - is not human to me.
I curse him with all my heart. There is nothing in him I feel for"
- 'Last Words'. page 36, Harper Collins Publishers, 2000
AIM-UK is the UK chapter of the Abolish ISA Movement (AIM) in Malaysia dedicated to the repeal of the ISA and all othe repressive legislation inMalaysia. For further information, contact us at: AIM_UK at excite.com