Malaysia has told the United States to give fair trials to detainees at its Cuban military prison before criticising it for holding five ethnic Indians, a report said Saturday. The United States demanded Thursday that Malaysia provide fair treatment to five leaders of a rights group held under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for a initial two year period.
"Can they first of all give a fair trial to the detainees in Guantanamo Bay? We will only respond if they do so," the New Straits Times newspaper quoted deputy prime minister Najib Razak as saying. The ISA is a security law that allows for indefinite detention without trial. There are about 290 detainees at the US camp in Guantanamo, Cuba.
Najib said the Malaysian public had demanded the government take tough action against the five from the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf). "We have always said people must obey the law. Nobody is above the law. So when the ISA was used, it should not have comes as a surprise," he added.
Hindraf is pushing for an end to discrimination of minority ethnic Indians in multi-racial Malaysia, which is led by the majority Muslim-Malay government. Hindraf enraged the government last month by mustering at least 8,000 people to the streets of Kuala Lumpur to highlight issues facing ethnic Indians, including a lack of economic opportunities and the destruction of Hindu temples.
Police used tear gas, water cannons and baton charges to break up the protests. Muslim Malays make up 60 percent of the population and control the government. Malaysia is also home to ethnic Chinese, who make up 26 percent of the population and dominate business. Ethnic Indians, who make up 8.0 percent, complain they run a distant third in terms of wealth, opportunities and education.
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