Friday, April 05, 2019

Victims of Enforced Dissapearance by police officers - Amri and Pastor Koh? HR Commission's findings

Police officers involved in enforced dissapearance of Amri Che Mat pastor Raymond Koh Keng Joo is shocking
 
After an extensive public inquiry, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) announced today that the Special Branch, the special police intelligence team from Bukit Aman, was involved in the abduction of pastor Raymond Koh, similar to that of activist Amri Che Mat.
 
Suhakam chairman Datuk Mah Weng Kwai said evidence showed that the abductions of Koh and Amri were carried out by agents of the Special Branch in Bukit Aman...
He added: “The panel is of the view that the ‘enforced disappearance’ (of Amri and Koh) was carried out by agents of the state, mainly the Special Branch, Bukit Aman”...

Mah said the inquiry panel unanimously reached this conclusion based on evidence that showed that individuals or groups, probably operating with the involvement or support of “state agents” whom they also identified as the Special Branch, were behind the abduction....

“The direct and circumstantial evidence in Amri Che Mat’s case proves, on a balance of probabilities, that he was abducted by state agents, namely the Special Branch.”...

In the case of Koh, the panel said: “The direct and circumstantial evidence proves, on a balance of probability, that he was abducted by state agents, namely the Special Branch”.
The full reports of the Inquiry Panel is available at SUHAKAM website

Now, the question is what is the government going to do...Will, there immediately be a TASK FORCE set up to investigate and hopefully prosecute the guilty...and more importantly find these victims of enforced disappearance... 


It is vital that the whereabouts of Amri Che Mat and Pastor Raymond Koh; the two other missing persons, Pastor Joshua Helmi and his wife Ruth; and a fifth person, a former civilian contract worker for the Royal Malaysia Police based at the police training centre by the name of Saiful Bahari who has also vanished; be determined for the sake of their families and loved ones.  They, and the Malaysian public, have the right — and deserve — to know the truth about what has happened to all of them. - Abdul Fareed Abdul Gafoor, President Malaysian Bar

Suhakam: Amri, Koh victims of enforced disapperance by state agents (Updated)

03 Apr 2019 / 11:38 H.
KUALA LUMPUR: The police were behind the disappearance of pastor Raymond Koh Keng Joo and activist Amri Che Mat more than two years ago, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) said today.

Suhakam chairman Datuk Mah Weng Kwai said evidence showed that the abductions of Koh and Amri were carried out by agents of the Special Branch in Bukit Aman.

Mah, who led the year-long inquiry into the disappearance of Amri and Koh, said Amri was abducted by persons acting with authorisation and support of “agents of the state”.

However, in Koh’s case, there was no evidence to show that those who abducted him were acting on the authorisation and support of the state.

He added: “The panel is of the view that the ‘enforced disappearance’ (of Amri and Koh) was carried out by agents of the state, mainly the Special Branch, Bukit Aman”.

Mah said the inquiry panel unanimously reached this conclusion based on evidence that showed that individuals or groups, probably operating with the involvement or support of “state agents” whom they also identified as the Special Branch, were behind the abduction.

“The direct and circumstantial evidence in Amri Che Mat’s case proves, on a balance of probabilities, that he was abducted by state agents, namely the Special Branch.”

In the case of Koh, the panel said: “The direct and circumstantial evidence proves, on a balance of probability, that he was abducted by state agents, namely the Special Branch”.

Amri, a co-founder of welfare association Perlis Hope, was reported missing on Nov 24, 2016.

Koh was on his way to visit a friend on Feb 13, 2017 when he was abducted by a group of men on Jalan SS4B/10 in Petaling Jaya.

His silver-coloured car bearing the registration number ST5515D has still not been found.

Koh was the founder of Harapan Komuniti, a reading centre.

Mah said the evidence adduced also showed clearly that both the police and religious authorities were uncertain of the extent of their powers and jurisdiction in the enforcement (of the law) against the propagation of Christianity.

The panel said it is now up to the police to “properly investigate and bring to book the culprits responsible for the two men’s disappearance.

“For starters, experienced investigating officers should be appointed to reinvestigate the case,“ it added.

A total of 25 people, including senior police officers and Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, testified at the inquiry.

Final Decision of the Public Inquiry into the Disappearance of Amri Che Mat:

Final Decision of the Public Inquiry into the Disappearance of Pastor Raymond Koh:

Special Branch behind pastor Raymond Koh’s disappearance, says Suhakam

Susanna Liew and Norhayati Mohd Arifin attend the announcement of Suhakam’s public inquiry findings into the disappearances of pastor Raymond Koh and Amri Che Mat in Kuala Lumpur April 3, 2019. — Picture by Hari Anggara
Susanna Liew and Norhayati Mohd Arifin attend the announcement of Suhakam’s public inquiry findings into the disappearances of pastor Raymond Koh and Amri Che Mat in Kuala Lumpur April 3, 2019. — Picture by Hari Anggara
KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 — After an extensive public inquiry, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) announced today that the Special Branch, the special police intelligence team from Bukit Aman, was involved in the abduction of pastor Raymond Koh, similar to that of activist Amri Che Mat.

Commissioner Datuk Mah Weng Kwai said its decision was based on the findings of its panel that had been looking into Koh’s abduction, which took place on February 13, 2017.

“The direct and circumstantial evidence in Pastor Raymond Koh’s case proves, on a balance of probabilities, that he was abducted by State agents namely, the Special Branch, Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur.

“The Panel further finds that there is no evidence to support the contention, as suggested by Counsel on behalf of Pastor Raymond Koh’s family and Counsel for the Bar Council, Pastor Raymond Koh was abducted by persons or groups of persons acting with the authorisation, support or acquiescence of the State,” Mah said. - Malay Mail, 3/4/2019

 The Malaysian Public Has the Right to Know the Truth about What Has Happened
Posted by Web Administrator   
Wednesday, 03 April 2019 03:35pm
ImageThe Malaysian Bar is appalled that the finding unanimously reached by members of the panel of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (“SUHAKAM”)’s Public Inquiry into the Disappearance of Amri Che Mat and Pastor Raymond Koh (“Inquiry Panel”), is that both Amri Che Mat and Pastor Raymond Koh were the victims of enforced disappearance at the hands of the Special Branch of the headquarters of the Royal Malaysia Police in Bukit Aman.

The decision is a damning indictment of the impunity exercised by this particular section of the Royal Malaysia Police (ie the Special Branch), which is privileged, and protected from scrutiny and accountability.  

The decision, as summarised and read out by the Chairman of the Inquiry Panel, former Court of Appeal Judge Dato’ Mah Weng Kwai, sets out a litany of fake alternative explanations in what had been an ill-conceived and nefarious attempt to shift attention away from the Special Branch and to pin the responsibility for these disappearances on other groups or individuals.  There were conclusions arrived at by the Inquiry Panel concerning dubious and contradictory testimony by various police personnel, including by former Inspector General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar; possible fabrication of evidence by the police; and even a concerted effort to derail the proceedings by charging an individual and claiming that, as a result, SUHAKAM no longer had any jurisdiction to proceed with the inquiry.

More worrying still was the thread of actual testimony and circumstantial evidence that interwove this operation by the Special Branch with the abuse of power by certain individuals within the state Islamic religious authorities, to seek to highlight the threat of Shia Islam. 

The Malaysian Bar thus wholeheartedly supports the recommendations of the Inquiry Panel, principally the establishment of a Special Task Force to reclassify, reopen and reinvestigate the disappearance of Amri Che Mat and Pastor Raymond Koh, and especially to look into police involvement in their disappearances.  In our view, such a Special Task Force must be given every power to investigate this matter, without let or hindrance.

The Inquiry Panel has also recommended that the authorities:

(1) respect the freedom of religion as a fundamental human right;

(2) clearly demarcate the powers of the police and state Islamic religious authorities; 

(3) reform the standard operating procedures of the police, to make the police more cooperative, open and transparent; less suppressive and concealing of evidence; and better and more quickly deal with cases of missing persons; 

(4) accede to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, and amend our domestic laws accordingly; and 

(5) establish the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission, as an independent oversight body to investigate complaints about the police force.

The Malaysian Bar strongly urges the Government to take the decision of the Inquiry Panel with the utmost seriousness, and to adopt and immediately implement the Inquiry Panel’s various recommendations without any delay or excuse.  

It is vital that the whereabouts of Amri Che Mat and Pastor Raymond Koh; the two other missing persons, Pastor Joshua Helmi and his wife Ruth; and a fifth person, a former civilian contract worker for the Royal Malaysia Police based at the police training centre by the name of Saiful Bahari who has also vanished; be determined for the sake of their families and loved ones.  They, and the Malaysian public, have the right — and deserve — to know the truth about what has happened to all of them.

Abdul Fareed Abdul Gafoor
President
Malaysian Bar

4 April 2019

 

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