Asia Expats Forum

JasonM · Joined: 21 Sep 2004 Posts: 15 Location: US

Case MYS 080704
Suspicious death in police premises

The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT
intervention in the following situation in Malaysia.

Brief description of the situation

The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by Asian
Human Rights Commission (AHRC), member of the OMCT network, of the
case of Mr Mageswaran a/I Ramasamy, aged 29 year old, found hanging
in the toilet of the Petaling Jaya Police Headquarters, Malaysia.

According to the information received, on 17th June 2004, Mageswaran
a/I Ramasamy allegedly went to the Pelating Jaya Police Headquarters
to file a police report. Seven hours after, at about 10:00 pm,
Mageswaran a/I Ramasamy's body was discovered hanging in toilet of
the police station. There was a wound about one inch long on
Mageswaran a/I Ramasamy's lower right abdomen, which had been
stitched up.

According to the same information, rapidly, Assistant Commissioner of
Police (ACP) Osman Bakar publicly stated that there was no murder and
this was a case of suicide. Mageswaran a/I Ramasamy's family members
have been disturbed by this speedy conclusion reached by the police.
Nevertheless, no investigation has been undertaken to explain the
suspicious circumstances of the death.

On 2nd July 2004, a joint memorandum was submitted to the Inspector
General of Police by about eight non-governmental organisations,
calling for an immediate independent and impartial investigation and
a post-mortem into the death of Mageswaran a/I Ramasamy. The group
also called for the immediate suspension of ACP Osman Bakar and other
police officers suspected to be involved in this event.

OMCT expresses its grave concern over this event. OMCT remains
worried about the numerous cases of death in prisons. According to
the statistics released in the Dewan Rakyat (the Lower House of
Parliament) on 10 October 2003, 237 inmates died last year, which is
an average of 19.75 deaths per month. From January to until July
2004, there have been 188 deaths in prisons, which is a monthly
average of 26.86 deaths per month.

Action requested

Please write to the authorities in Malaysia urging them to:

i. Order a thorough and impartial investigation into the
circumstances of this event in order to bring those responsible to
trial and apply the penal and/or administrative sanctions as provided
by law;
ii. Guarantee that adequate reparation is provided to Mageswaran a/I
Ramasamy's family;
iii. Guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental
freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and
international human rights standards.

Addresses

Dato' Seri Abdullah Hj. Ahmad Badawi, Prime Minister, Block D1,
Parcal D, Pusat Pentadbiran Putrajaya, 62502 Putrajaya, Selangor,
MALAYSIA, Fax: + 603 8886 8014,
E-mail: abdullah@kdn.gov.my

Attorney General of Malaysia, State Attorney General's Chambers, 9th
Floor, Yayasan Sabah Building, 88990 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia,
Tel: +60 3 88 421018, Fax:
+60 3 88 425774.

Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Omar, Inspector General of Police, Ketua Polis
Negara, Ibupejabat Polis Diraja Malaysia, Bukit Aman, 50502 Kuala
Lumpur, MALAYSIA, Tel: +603
2273 1326, Fax: +603 2272 2710 / 2273 1326

Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman, Chairperson, Human Rights Commission of
Malaysia (SUHAKAM), 29th Floor, Menara Tun Razak, Jalan Raja Laut,
50350 Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA, Tel: +603 2612 5600, Fax: +603 2612
5620, E-mail: humanrights@suhakam.org.my

Please also write to the embassies of Malaysia in your respective
country.

Geneva, July 8th, 2004

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this
appeal in your reply.

Organisation Mondiale Contre la Torture (OMCT)
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
Organizaci๓n Mundial Contra la Tortura (OMCT)
8 rue du Vieux-Billard
Case postale 21
CH-1211 Geneve 8
Suisse/Switzerland
Tel. : 0041 22 809 49 39
Fax : 0041 22 809 49 29
E-mail : omct@omct.org
http://www.omct.org

Guest · Location:

What is the big stink about anyway..
Everyone that has lived and learned knows that there are a few killings in prisons because some folks can't get along with others and in confinement ,you must get along.
There are also numerous suicides because some folks can not stand the treatment from other prisoners,and the thought that BUBBA might be in love with them and require a little poon tonite. Maybe the guy that hung himself in the shitter was just pissed because the cops wouldn't believe him and his report ..
You seem to be awfully interested in sticking your nose into things that do not concern you,,You might find your self in a lot of trouble by doing such things in countrys where you are not wanted by either the authorities or by just plain folks that want to get along and mind their own business. So why dont you try it.

JasonM · Joined: 21 Sep 2004 Posts: 15 Location: US

Thank you for solving this case Confused

Guest · Location:

no problem if you get your head out of your ass and just look around.