Some clarification, please?
Posted: January 29, 2009 Filed under: Society | Tags: Media 4 Comments »I previously wrote HERE that according to Charles Santiago, there were 1,535 custodial deaths between 2003-2007. I re-quote:
According to statistics revealed in Parliament last year, there were a total of 1535 custodial deaths in the country between 2003 and 2007.
This was posted on 22 Jan 2009. So “last year” in the quote above would mean 2008.
Today, I came across an article in the Malaysian Insider HERE, with the following information:
In 2007, then Internal Security Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had stated there were 106 deaths in custody between 2000 and 2006. No updated statistics have been issued since then.
The figures are completely out-of-sync.
I am not going to dwell on the figures. As far as I’m concerned, 106 deaths in custody is no better than 1535. They were deaths that weren’t supposed to happen.
What I’m concerned about is the discrepancy between the two figures. The difference is so huge, that I can only think that someone made a mistake while typing up their articles, and was not meant to mislead us.
Another point is that according to Malaysian Insider, the most updated statistic was issued in 2007. But according to Charles Santiago, his figures came from Parliament in 2008.
These two articles are completely contradictory. Putting aside the believability of these two sources and their numbers, I am completely baffled at how different these two pieces of information can be.
Is this really just a case of “typo”? Or is this the consequence of not having updated information readily available? Whichever it is, this has left me unsure and completely in the dark, which really shouldn’t be the case.
1,535 custodial deaths in 5 years
Posted: January 28, 2009 Filed under: Society 3 Comments »According to Charles Santiago HERE (thanks to Gadfly for the link):
According to statistics revealed in Parliament last year, there were a total of 1535 custodial deaths in the country between 2003 and 2007.
Assuming that “between 2003 and 2007″ means both 2003 and 2007 inclusive, that would mean that a total of 1,535 custodial deaths occured in 5 years, averaging to about 307 custodial deaths every year.
Is that normal?
Comparing with other countries:
~ England and Wales: 70 custodial deaths every year (taking the highest number up to 2002). .pdf file found HERE, website HERE.
~ India: 415 custodial deaths during 1985-1991; 197 custodial deaths during 1990-1992. Sourced from HERE.
~ Australia: An average (I estimated) of about 100 custodial deaths a year. Line graph HERE.
I don’t wish to dehumanise this into mere statistics. One death in custody is already one too many. But given the context that perhaps accidents DO happen, I felt that I had to see for myself if 307 custodial deaths a year could be justified.
However, it seems that nothing can really justify the high number of custodial deaths that occur in this country of ours.
I’ve read some comments out there that Kugan had it coming. I don’t think this is fair, and being very unkind indeed. No matter if he was a criminal or not, no one deserves to die the way he did. It’s almost like saying someone “deserves” to be infected with HIV because that person sleeps around. Or like saying someone “deserves” to get raped because that person was scantily dressed. It just isn’t right.
Kugan’s death in custody was brought to our attention. But what about the 1,534 other deaths that have happened before this? And others that happened within other time-frames? What happened to them?
The numbers are disturbing. The photos of Kugan’s body were disturbing. And I am left with a disturbing thought. Were the other people who died in police custody also subjected to physical abuse? Have all custodial deaths been properly accounted for?
FAQs on the ISA
Posted: January 28, 2009 Filed under: Society | Tags: Human Rights, ISA, Society Leave a comment »Haris has posted a page on his blog HERE on FAQs on the ISA. Many thanks to Jaya for compiling the FAQ, and thanks to Haris for putting it up.
Happy Chinese New Year
Posted: January 25, 2009 Filed under: Digressions 3 Comments »Here’s wishing everyone a blessed Year of the Ox. Enjoy the holidays!
A Kugan’s death in police custody: Murder
Posted: January 23, 2009 Filed under: Society | Tags: Human Rights, Police 11 Comments »From Malaysiakini:
Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail has classified the case involving A Kugan, the 22-year-old detainee who died in police custody on Tuesday, as murder.
To know more, Antares has Malaysiakini’s previous report, plus photos. Gruesome photos that stayed with me most of yesterday.
I cannot begin to describe what this could mean.
For someone to die with so little dignity left intact is a tragic story. But for that someone to die in such a manner while under police custody escalates this case to another level altogether.
I can’t speak of “the good ol’ days” when everyone could trust the police force to do whatever in their power to protect the people. I’m only 22, and I have never had any contact whatsoever with the police. I don’t know of such “good ol’ days”.
But I imagine that the police are supposed to be there for exactly that reason. To protect the people. They are supposed to be the law-keepers. Their presence is supposed to let us feel safe.
But for a murder to happen while someone is under their charge is completely outrageous. They are the law keepers. They are NOT above the law. And they cannot take law into their own hands.
This, of course, is not the first time that we are hearing of such atrocities happening to people who are under police custody. I’ve previously read of cases where females are molested or raped while under police custody. I’ve read about other people dying under police custody. I’ve read of the use of corporal punishment and abuse, sometimes torture even, of people under police custody.
For whatever “reasons” these things happen, they shouldn’t. Simply because it is sending out all the wrong messages about what the police are supposed to be doing.
The police are there to carry out investigations. To keep peace. Their job description does not include carrying out punishments. It does not include proclaiming a person guilty of an offense before a verdict in court has been reached. And they simply are not supposed to lay their hands on the people. Force is something that the police are supposed to use sparingly, and under the most dire of conditions, if not NOT AT ALL.
The murder of A Kugan adds to a long list of reasons why people are losing, or have lost, confidence in our police force.
