Friday, September 19, 2008

Teresa Kok released - Will there be anyone left to be concerned for the others under ISA?

I am filled with joy that my good friend Teresa Kok has been released ... after about 1 week in Detention...

I am filled with joy when Sin Chew Daily journalist Tan Hoon Cheng was released after 18 hours....

I am concerned that Raja Petra Kamaruddin is still being detained under the ISA...

I am concerned about P. Uthayakumar, M. Manoharan, R Kenghadharan, V Ganabatirau and T Vasanthakumar, detained since 13/12/2007...

I am concerned about Shadul Islam, Abdul Sathar Mohammad Sarjoon, Faycal Mamdouh, Mahamad Nakhrakhel, Muhammad Shuaib Hazrat Bilal and Muhammad Zahid Haji Zahir Shah who arrived at the kamunting Detention Centre Taiping in July 2008.

I am concerned about Yazid Sufaat, a businessman from Kedah who was arrested in 9/12/2001 and is still there languishing in the Kamunting Detention Centre.. going to be SEVEN (7) YEARS soon

I am concerned about the many others currently being detained under the ISA and other laws that allow for Detention Without Trial...

I remember the words of
Reverend Martin Niemoeller..

FIRST THEY CAME FOR...


by Reverend Martin Niemoeller

In Germany, the Nazis first came for the communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a communist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Catholics,
but I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one left to speak for me.

Reverend Niemoeller, a German Lutheran pastor, was arrested by the Gestapo and sent to Dachau in 1938.Reverend Niemoeller was freed by the Allied Forces in 1945.

But, alas now a lot more Malaysians are getting more and more concerned and are doing things to bring about a better Malaysia...

And now, I am drafting another poem.....

In Malaysia, when Sin Chew Daily journalist Tan Hoon Cheng was released on 13/9/2008 after being detained for 18 hours, the journalist community, the MCA, GERAKAN,... left and were no more bothered about the others still detained under the ISA..

When the MP and State Exco member from DAP Teresa Kok was released on 19/9/2008, the _____________ left, and were no more bothered about the others still detained under the ISA..

When blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin is released on ____, the bloggers left(?), the..... left, and were no more bothered about the others still detained under the ISA..

When P.Uthayakumar,M. Manoharan, R Kenghadharan, V Ganabatirau and T Vasanthakumar were released, the HINDRAF and Makkal Sakti groups left, the lawyers (?) left, the ______ left, and were no more bothered about the others still detained under the ISA..

And when all the ISA Detainees were released, everyone left and no one was bothered about the rest of those detained under the other laws that allow for detention without trial...

It is shocking that the ISA was used sometime in Jun/July 2008 - and we did not even know about it - and suddenly in July 2008, one
Shadul Islam and 5 others were taken to Kamunting Detention Centres. Why were they arrested and detained under the ISA? How long will they languich in detention - without even an opportunity to defend themselves with regard to whateever allegation that is being made against them which Syed Hamid Albar (Malaysian Home Minister) is satisfied warrants them to be detained under the ISA...

Go to ALIRAN's ISA Watch for more details of who and who are being detained under the ISA now (but alas, this is all we know - there may be others who are being detained under ISA and other Detention Without Trial Laws that we do not know about. Go to http://www.aliran.com/oldsite/monthly/2001/3e.htm

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