Abdullah Badawi should not delay any further and should  come out with  a full statement on the Suhakam inquiry report on widespread police violation of human rights at the the Kesas Highway last November as well as specify and  list out the  police human rights which  had been violated

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Media Statement
by Lim Kit Siang 

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I do not know whether such a government statement would be forthcoming after today’s Cabinet meeting, but Malaysians are entitled to answers to three  questions:
 

• Why there had been no proper and detailed government response  to the Suhakam inquiry report, particularly with regard to its findings on widespread police violation of human rights and recommendations,  ten days after its being made public, especially as the Suhakam report had earlier been circulated to the various relevant government authorities before its publication on 20th August 2001?
• Why is the Cabinet only discussing the Suhakam inquiry report today and not much earlier when  the Suhakam report had been confidentially submitted to the various relevant government authorites in view of its importance?
• Was it necessary for the Cabinet to approve the Home Ministry or Police response to the Suhakam inquiry report, when it specifically concerns police violation of human rights?

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has made ferocious attacks on the Suhakam report virtually accusing the Suhakam commissioners of being “anti-national” and being influenced by the West, without fully reading or responding in any manner to the specific findings and recommendations of the Suhakam inquiry report.

The Suhakam inquiry, which held hearings spread over 20 days with a total of 46 witnesses who gave evidence, came to the definitive conclusion and finding that the police had been guilty of widespread and multiple violation of human rights, arising from the Kesas Highway incident, which include:
 

1. the use of force on persons present at the scene of the assembly;
2. causing damage to private property;
3. confiscating private property;
4. causing injury to persons in detention;
5. delay in providing medical treatment for injured detainees and failure to provide medication prescribed for injured detainees;
6. the cruel and inhuman treatment of detainees;
7. taking advantage of the situation of a detained person for the purpose of compelling him/her to confess or otherwise incriminate himself / herself.
8. Gathering security intelligence from persons detained for a specific offence.

As the Suhakam inquiry report had given specific details of these widespread police and multiple human rights violations, the government and the police must come out with a detailed response to these specific findings.

In the past ten days, top government leaders, including the UMNO Youth leader and the Minister for Youth and Sports, Datuk Hishammuddin Tun Hussein had protested against the Suhakam report for disregarding the human rights which they said the police are also entitled to.

Malaysians can agree that the police, like all sectors of Malaysian society, also enjoy human rights.  But the government must spell out what are the police human rights which had been violated at the Kesas Highway incident. Although the police are also entitled to human rights enjoyed by all Malaysians, the police definitely do not have the human right to violate and trample on the human rights of the common citizenry.

Abdullah Badawi should not delay any further and should  come out with  a full statement on the Suhakam inquiry report on widespread police violation of human rights at the the Kesas Highway last November as well as specify and  list out the  police human rights, if any,  which  had been violated at  the same Kesas Highway incident.
 
(29/8/2001)