malaysiakini: Release PSM political detainees immediately.... b S. Arutchelvan

Release PSM political detainees immediately

S.Arutchelvan
Jul 6, 11
4:44pm

Stop the charade and release the remaining six PSM political detainees immediately.

The six PSM leaders are now being detained without trial under the draconian Emergency Ordinance - the Other ISA.

Till now, they have been denied access to legal representatives and family visits. We are worried for their safety and their well being.

We demand their immediate unconditional release.

The charade by the Najib administration:

• First the 30 were arrested on 25th June and remanded the following day under Section 122 of the Penal Code for the charge of waging war against the King. 

• On 26th June 2011, The Police paraded several T-shirts of former MCP leaders and PSM Newspapers as subversive elements and said PSM was trying to revive the MCP.

• On July 2nd, the end of the remand period, the police released six of the detainees including Dr Jeyakumar - PSM Member of Parliament, M Saraswathy - Party's National Deputy Chairperson , Choo Chon Kai - Central Committee Member and three others from all charges under Section 122 but they were immediately rearrested under the draconian Emergency ordinance.

• The six were initially given family notification letters which stated that they have been arrested under the EO to prevent them from participating in the July 9 Bersih rally. This was replaced later by another which stated that they have been arrested under the EO to maintain public order. In the media, the Deputy IGP said that those arrested under EO were subversives with links to foreign elements. The script kept changing.

• For the remaining 24, the police asked another seven days extension under the same Section 122 - 'waging war against the King' in spite of key leaders of PSM been cleared from the same allegation a few hours before that. The police requested seven days stating that they have a list of things to do including holding an ID parade. The court gave them another three days.

• But in the three days, there was no ID parade or any other investigation. Those detained were just languishing in their lock-ups.

• On July 4th 2011, at 4pm - when the banks were be closing(making bail processing impossible) , the 24 were charged now NOT under 122 but under Section 48 and Section 43 of the Societies Act; and section Section 29 (1) of the Internal Security Act for being in possession of subversive documents.

Bail was set at RM8,000 each which means RM192,000 in total.

In the charge sheet, it is stated that the illegal organisation is Bersih though the PSM campaign ended on June 26 before Bersih was banned by the home minister while the subversive documents were leaflets on Bersih's eight demands.

Now these 24 are not charged for the PSM "Udahlah Bersaralah" leaflet nor were they charged for having possession of T-shirts of MCP leaders and other T-shirts.

Udahlah...end the charade now.

PSM would also like to categorically state that PSM will not compromise on the release of the six for supporting the Bersih rally on the 9th.

The rally is the right of the rakyat in a democratic society to exercise their freedom of assembly and expression.

PSM calls upon the immediate and unconditional release of the EO Six.

Their continued detention is a violation at the highest level by a corrupt and cowardly government.

S.Arutchelvan is PSM Secretary General.