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June 26, 2008 marks 24 years to the day when UN the Convention against Torture Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment was adopted in 1984, the General Assembly adopted the UN Convention against Torture, which entered into force on 26 June 1987. Countries that sign and ratify this treaty must ensure that laws in their country have to protect people from torture. As of the end of 2006, 142 countries have ratified this convention which is more than two-thirds of the world. Unfortunately Malaysia who sits on the UN Human Rights Council has yet to ratify this treaty. In ASEAN other countries like Cambodia, Indonesia and Philippines have ratified this treaty

The reality is that torture occurs in various places today. In the home we hear of domestic violence and child abuse. In the workplace & community groups have documented the cruel treatment of workers and inhumane working conditions as well trafficking. The state also continues to use torture in Malaysia. The police use excessive force amounting to torture at peaceful demonstrations and we know of the ill-treatment in police lock ups and detention. We continue to hear of RELA officers ill-treating migrants and refugees. Whipping is a form of torture still used in Malaysia. Even the death penalty which is cruelest form of torture still exists as a punishment mainly for drug traffickers.
Torture continues to occur because of discrimination against women, children, migrants, refugees and because of one’s sexual orientation. Torture also continues because of impunity and because of the lack of credible and independent accountability mechanisms such as the proposed IPCMC as well existence of arbitrary laws like the Internal Security Act (ISA).The Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) in its Special Report on Review of the ISA mentioned that lack of access to the outside world for a prolonged period of time coupled with the detention of persons in undisclosed places without
independent supervision pose an inherent danger of abuse of power, particularly in terms of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment during interrogations.
Amnesty International Malaysia emphasise that torture is never justified. We urge the Malaysian government to show its commitment to ratify and implementing the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment as well as the Optional Protocol to this Convention (OPCAT) without further delay. We also call on the government to take steps to address the culture of impunity in Malaysia by implementing
the IPCMC Bill as proposed by the Royal Commission to Enhance the Operation and Management of the Royal Malaysia Police and to abolish the Internal Security Act and all other preventive detention laws and to make Malaysia free from torture.
K.Shan
Campaigns
Coordinator
Amnesty
International Malaysiawww.aimalaysia.org