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Fears raised over possible torture of PSM 6

Malaysia Kini - July 26, 2011

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Malaysia censors economist article on Bersih rally - Agence France Presse. July 20, 2011
Malaysia's amnesty for illegal workers faces hurdles - Straights Times. July 20, 2011

Parti Sosialis Malaysia has raised concern that its leaders who have been held under the Emergency Ordinance (EO) since July 2 may have been subjected to abuse by the police.

PSM secretary-general S. Arutchelvan lodged a police report on his suspicions about this at the Dang Wangi police headquarters on Sunday, and expressed concern that police have for the last 10 days refused to let family members visit the detainees.

The six detained are Sungai Siput MP Dr D Jeyakumar, M Sarasvathy, Choo Chon Kai, M Sugumaran, A Letchumanan and R Saras Babu.

According to the police affidavit-in-reply filed during a habeas corpus application for their release, the six were detained because they were suspected to be key "movers" of Bersih 2.0 rally and hence their detention was necessary to maintain public order.

"Their families were not given their visiting rights since July 15. First, they (the police) postponed the visit scheduled for that Friday to Saturday but then, it was cancelled and postponed to yesterday," Arutchelvan (left) said, adding that this visit too was cancelled at the last minute.

He said his suspicions were valid as a similar situation had arisen when the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) wanted to visit Sarasvathy early last week.

"The police denied Suhakam access because Saras (as she is fondly known) was hospitalised for chest pains," said Arutchelvan, adding that the family was not informed of the predicament. "We suspect something has happened to the six and that is why their families are not given access," he added.

Detainee put through lie detector

On the other hand, Arutchelvan said, detainee Letchumanan had related to his lawyers two weeks ago that he was put through a polygraph test.

"It is illegal what the police are doing to the detainees," Arutchelvan said, adding that keeping the families in the dark about the well-being of the detainees has left them very agitated.

PSM and other human rights groups have been holding candlelight vigils at the Bukit Aman police headquarters for the past 17 days, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the six.

The groups have vowed to continue their vigil despite being ordered to disperse on every occasion.