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Candlelight vigil for six PSM detainees

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Kuala Lumpur – Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) last night held a candlelight vigil for its six members jailed under the Emergency Ordinance (EO).

The vigil, which will be a nightly affair, started when family, opposition and PSM members and friends gathered in front of the Bukit Aman federal police headquarters here to peacefully protest the detention of PSM leader Dr D Michael Jeyakumar, PSM deputy chairperson M Saraswathy, central committee members Choo Chon Kai and M Sukumaran, Sungai Siput branch secretary A Letchumanan and Youth leader Sarat Babu.

The six detainees, referred to as the EO6, were remanded on June 25 for seven days for allegedly waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and for attempting to revive the Communist Party. They were then re-arrested on July 2 under the EO which allows police to detain suspects for up to 60 days.

Currently, they are awaiting for their habeas corpus application to be heard in the High Court on July 22. (Habeas corpus is a legal order through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention.)

"This is the first time the EO has been used against political activists in the country," said PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan, who expressed the hope that the EO6 would be given their day in court.

"None of the charges will hold in court," he said, adding that PSM will continue to hold nationwide protests against the detention of the six PSM members..

"Amnesty International (AI) is also conducting an international campaign. I hear (Prime Minister) Najib Tun Razak is in London. Let's see what happens." Notes of support

About 100 turned up for last night's vigil which also saw PSM members and relatives of the EO6 speaking about the detainees, saying that they were not aggressive or radical as portrayed in the media. They were all holding candles and carrying posters depicting the faces of the six detainees.

Despite the presence of the police and Special Branch officers, the group shouted slogans such as "hancur ISA", and called for the release of the detainees. They also wrote notes of support to the detainees, which would be given to their defence counsel.

Also present at the vigil were Selangor state executive council member Dr Xavier Jayakumar, DAP representatives and Bar Council members, as well as activists from Suaram, KOMAS and AI.

Syahredzan Johan, head of the constitutional law committee of the Bar Council, said the EO6 should be released immediately as "the use of the EO on them would not constitute a justifiable use of the emergency legislation".

Jeyakumar, the Sungai Siput MP, was admitted to the National Heart Institute (IJN) for heart palpitations. The rest of the detainees are being held in unknown detention centres.