JUSTICE AND PASSIONS 正义与激情





Asian Human Rights Commission - 120 hours into Hunger Strike for Freedom

Abolish the Internal Security Act (ISA) Campaign


Asian Human Rights Commission
PRESS RELEASE
15 April 2002

120 hours into Hunger Strike for Freedom
- No water until Dr. Badrul gets to hospital


“We will not allow a drop of water to pass through our mouths from 4 p.m. on Monday if Dr. Badrul Amin is not sent to the Taiping Hospital,” said Tian Chua on behalf of the six detainees during the family visit on Sunday morning. The detainees are not expected to survive more than three days if they refuse to take water. This was the message given to family members who braved intimidating and heavy police presence, including fully armed police officers, and intense harassment to meet the ISA detainees currently on hunger strike. Roads leading to the Kamunting Detention Centre, where the political prisoners are kept were sealed off to vehicles, save those carrying family members. “The police took numerous pictures and detained us unnecessarily,” said Aliza Jaafar, wife of political prisoner Saari Sungib. Five families manage to meet the political prisoners, save the family of Dr. Badrul Amin. Dr. Badrul Amin left instructions that he would not see anyone unless his personal physician, Dr. Musa who travelled from Kuala Lumpur, was present. Family members of the other five detainees said they had lost weight between 3 to 7 kg since the hunger strike and were evidently week. “However their spirits remain high,” said Bahirah, wife of Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor. She said the medical assistant continue to hide from view the medical records of the detainees. Puan Bahirah added that two of her children’s names vanished mysteriously from the visitor’s list over night and had to fight to get her children to see their father. Hishamuddin Rais, according to his family, had to be supported when he walked to see them as his limbs were experiencing shakes. And a message to commemorate the anniversary of Black-14, dictated by Tian Chua to his family was confiscated. The family member was singled out for a full body search, and camp authorities attempted to coerce her to persuade Tian Chua to give up the hunger strike. Also police threatened a lawyer for the detainees, Cheah Kah Peng, with arrest when he refused to leave the camp gates until he saw his clients. Cheah was told he would be arrested for ‘illegal assembly’ even though he was alone and assembled around him were some 20 intelligence and uniformed police officers. Meanwhile, despite a media blackout on the hunger strike and intense police harassment, supporters in Kuala Lumpur continued to rally for support.....

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