PETALING JAYA: Human Rights Watch (HRW) was unable to substantiate the claims made in its report of abuse and torture at immigration detention centres when testifying before a parliamentary committee last week, says home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
The minister said that besides HRW, the parliamentary select committee on human rights, elections and institutional reforms headed by William Leong (PH-Selayang) also summoned the immigration director-general over the NGO’s claims.
“I was made to understand that during the testimony, they (HRW) were asked for proof of where these incidents (of torture and death) took place at the 20 immigration detention centres mentioned in their report.
“They could not present an iota of evidence. But yet they went on to lecture the whole world (about the alleged abuses),” he said in response to an oral question from Lim Guan Eng (PH-Bagan).
Last Wednesday, HRW released a report alleging human rights violations and abuse at detention centres across the country.
Based on interviews with 43 former detainees, the report alleged appalling living conditions, a lack of medical care, and instances of torture and abuse, allegedly resulting in “many” deaths.
The report claimed that women and children were also subject to abuse and neglect, with over 1,400 children detained, two-thirds of whom were unaccompanied or separated from their families and often detained with unrelated adults.
Saifuddin subsequently questioned the credibility of the report, raising doubts over HRW’s sources and urged the group to specify the locations of these centres.
