Image via WikipediaOctober 31, 2010 17:03 PM
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 (Bernama) -- The Internal Security Act (ISA) should not be used against human trafficking suspects as it was ineffective in eliminating the root cause of the problem, said a member of the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam).
Its commissioner, Mohammed Shaani Abdullah, told Bernama on Sunday that the use of the ISA only gave a false impression of the actual trafficking incidences in the country.
"The traffickers could still continue with their activities once their period of detention was completed as they were never convicted in a court of law since the act allowed detention without trial," he said.
Mohammed Shaani was commenting on the recent detention of immigration officers under the ISA who were suspected to be involved in a human trafficking syndicate.
On the other hand, he said, if these traffickers were charged in court, their identity and modus operandi could be ascertained, thus allowing the authorities get to the root cause and devise methods to contain the problem.
Mohammed Shaani said there was also confusion among enforcement agencies in the country, over the difference between smuggling of humans into the country and human trafficking.
He pointed out that smuggling was a crime against the state and was perpetuated with the consent of the migrant and involved an illegal border crossing through the help of corrupt enforcement personnel or syndicates, operating purely for profit.
Another factor was that the relationship between the smuggler and the smuggled ended after the border crossing when an agreed fees was paid, he said.
-- BERNAMA
Its commissioner, Mohammed Shaani Abdullah, told Bernama on Sunday that the use of the ISA only gave a false impression of the actual trafficking incidences in the country.
"The traffickers could still continue with their activities once their period of detention was completed as they were never convicted in a court of law since the act allowed detention without trial," he said.
Mohammed Shaani was commenting on the recent detention of immigration officers under the ISA who were suspected to be involved in a human trafficking syndicate.
On the other hand, he said, if these traffickers were charged in court, their identity and modus operandi could be ascertained, thus allowing the authorities get to the root cause and devise methods to contain the problem.
Mohammed Shaani said there was also confusion among enforcement agencies in the country, over the difference between smuggling of humans into the country and human trafficking.
He pointed out that smuggling was a crime against the state and was perpetuated with the consent of the migrant and involved an illegal border crossing through the help of corrupt enforcement personnel or syndicates, operating purely for profit.
Another factor was that the relationship between the smuggler and the smuggled ended after the border crossing when an agreed fees was paid, he said.
-- BERNAMA
BERNAMA - Don't Use ISA On Traffickers - Suhakam
Source: Bernama
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