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Islamic Human Rights Commission
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13th February 2004

Press Release: Briefing now online – Anti-terrorism laws in South East Asia

A prominent London-based human rights organization today called on governments around the world to end their practice of enacting and abusing anti-terrorism laws.

The Islamic Human Rights Commission said pieces of legislation such as the Internal Security Act of Malaysia are being used as justification to punish Muslims deemed a threat to the repressive establishment.

The IHRC is concerned in particular with the broad level of powers such legislation allows, leading to clear erosion of civil and human rights. According to a spokesperson for the research section:

“Since 1960, thousands of people such as trade unionists, student leaders, labour activists, political activists, religious groups, academicians, and NGO activists, have been arrested under the ISA.”

Under Section 73 (1) of the ISA, police may detain any person for up to 60 days, without warrant or trial and without access to legal counsel, on suspicion that “he has acted or is about to act or is likely to act in any manner prejudicial to the security of Malaysia or any part thereof or to maintenance of essential services therein or to the economic life thereof.”

Similar laws are being used in Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia violating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Such laws do not end the causes of terrorism but are used in the name of security to repress ordinary people.

“Kangaroo courts and legislation convicting people for the crime of believing their governments are corrupt and saying it in public is a disgrace,” said IHRC chairman Massoud Shadjareh. “IHRC is calling on the international community to loudly condemn these measures and call for their immediate end.”

For more information please call the Press Office on (+44) 20 8904 4222, (+44) 7958 60 74 75 or email info@ihrc.org.

Islamic Human Rights Commission
PO Box 598
Wembley
HA9 7XH
UK