Anderson Mutang Urud, a member of the Kelabit tribe in Sarawak,
has been arrested in Miri on thhe nighht of 5 Febuary 92 and detained
under the Internal Security Act (ISA). No other details on
the arrest are available at this stage.
Under Section 73 of the ISA, anyone who is deemed by the
authorities "to act or likely to act in any manner prejudical
to the security of Malaysia" may be arrested without a
warrant. this Act provides for indefinite detention without a
trial or charge. Anyone arrested under this Act may be held
before a court, and may thereafter be given detention orders
of up to two years at a time. This detention order may be
renewed indefinitely. Detainees are usually kept incommunicado
at the beginning of the arrest
and interrogated. Physical and psychological tortures are common
during interrogations.
Anderson Mutang is the Executive Director of SIPA
(Sarawak Indigenous People's Alliance). This group was formed in early
1991 to act as a representative body for indigenous
communities in Sarawak. In 1990, Anderson Mutang accompanied
two Penan tribesmen, Mutang Tu'o and Unga Paran in a world
tour to publicise the plight of the indigenous people of
Sarawak and the importance of the rainforests to their
survival. Since then, he has been working with individuals and
organisations concerned with the issue to fighht nonviolently
for the right to their traditional homelands.
We are appealing to you to send airmail to:
Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad
Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs
Prime Minister's Office
Jalan Dato Onn
Kuala Lumpur 11-01
Malaysia
or telegrams:
Prime Minister Mahathir
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
or telex:
(Malaysia) 33099
Attention: Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad
Also airmail or telegram:
Datuk Patingi Tan Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud
The Chief Minister of Sarawak
Bangunan Tunku Abdul Rahman
Petra Jayya
93300 Kuching
Sarawak
Malaysia
Please express concern at arrest and incommunicado detention
without trial of Anderson Mutang Urud on 5 Febuary 1992;
Demand that he be released immediately and
unconditionally in view of his nonviolent actions to defend
the rights of indigenous people;
urge the Malaysian government to ensure that the fundamental
human rights of Anderson Mutang Urud are upheld in accordance
with internationally accepted legal standards annd that he be
allowed access to relatives and lawyers of his own choosing
immediately.
Please also send a copy to the diplomatic representatives of
Malaysia in your own country.
Your prompt response to the arrest is urgently needed and
may have a direct effect on the way Anderson is treated while in detention.
You can also help to publicise about the arrest and the
land rights struggle in Sarawak in whatever ways you can.
Lee
Hak Hak Manusia
Malaysian Human Rights Support Group, Melbourne, Australia.
Fax/tel +61 3 417 7448