' PP71/12/86 PP71/12/86 VOLUME 7:10 OCT/NOV 1987 PRICE: $1.00 ISSN 0127- 5127 For Justice, Freedom, 3 -- DETAINED '' My mission in life is the mission of each human being. lt is to liberate human beings from both our inner bondage offea r, of prejudice, of envy, ofgreed, of selfishness and our outer shackles "'! • of oppression, exploitation, dominance and divisiveness. The purpose of this liberation is to create a society in which each and every human being can live truly human lives in peace and unity. This surely is the whole purpose ofour existence. '' Chandra Muzaffar, shortly after he resigned from U.S.M. to work full-time for Aliran in 1983. he one detained is not alone in suffering the anguish and despair of being denied freedom. Their families and friends suffer tremendously too. Here we attempt to portray that sense of loss and anxiety T felt by families of detained Aliran ~resi- dent Dr. Chandra Muzaffar and members Lim Chin Chin and Brother Anthony Rogers. Dr. Chandra's wife Mariam Hashim, Theresa Lim Chin Chin's husband David Anthony share their feelings wjth us here. Too often, those detained are seen only as a face, a name, a number in news reports. We forget that they are human beings with husbands, wives, children, parents, brothers and sisters because we are so dependent on the media for news which, unfortunately, is either censured or lop-sided. The media screams. "Extremists. threau to natjonal security, etc". But are they really? From the testi· monies of their families and their own backgrounds, it can be seen that those detained are peace-loving, patriotic, spiri· tual, just and freedom-loving people. They cared enough to work in pursuit of justice for all. PROFILE OF A CAPTIVE: Tireless worker '' c handra rang me at my mother's s though sensing something have to contend with international house on October 27 to say A was about to happen, I said pressure and it would affect the he would be late as something urgent "Why not you? Wouldn't this be a 'liberal' image of this country. had cropped up. He fmally came at good excuse to take you knowing "It was with all these doubts about 6pm to fetch me and the there are certain individuals who'd and questions unanswered that we children home. He appeared worried. like to settle old scores?" He brushed reached our home in Bayan Baru The ftrst thing he told me was about that suggestion aside saying that of at 6.40pm. I went straight to the the eight arrests earlier in the day. the eight arrested, it was lim Guan kitchen to heat some water. Chandra Many questions were going through Eng and not Lim Kit Siang that was in his study preparing a press his mind. Why the arrest of an was detained (ironically enough, statement regarding the arrests. environmentalist? Was it a warning Kit Siang was taken around the Then I heard Chandra reply, to public interest groups? Will Aliran same time as Chandra.) He did not "Wa'alaikum salam. Sila masuk!" members be picked up too, and if think they would take the more Chandra called me. I didn't like so, who? well-known ones because they would the tone of his voice because the 2 IN HAPPIER CIRCUMSTANCES: With Mariam in Geneva CHANDRA'S CHILDREN: Aniu, he Qlls 'little One' and Samirah, ' little Girl' EVENING AFTER CHANDRA'S ARREST: Anxious moments for ... Nation's conscience ... devoted father Mariam. customary warmth was not there. asked me to sign. I did so without wanting to know whether Chandra reading. My mind was a complete was aware of the eight arrests. went to the living room and blank and my hands and feet had I saw several unfamiliar faces turned icy cold. I did not know he Special Branch officer outside the door. My heart sank. what to think or say. I could not T advised me to pack his One of them was holding a walkie- condemn the Special Branch officers, things. Meanwhile, three others talkie. God. could it be ....... ? Chandra they were only carrying out orders. were going through the bookshelves. ended whatever doubts I had when I composed myself and told myself The children, who were stunned he said, "These people are from to do whatever must be done before by the whole episode were the Special Branch and they are he was taken away. frightened and were crying. They here to arrest me under the ISA." went into their bedroom. 1 couldn't His voice quivered a little. They he phone rang. The Special console them as I felt numb walking came in and handed over the T Branch officer asked me not into the bedroom to get his bag. Notification of Arrest which they to say anything. It was the Press Chandra followed behind. 3 have been packing his bag "He was all set to go with the Special Branch I hundreds of times when he goes off for his conferences and officers when the call for prayer came. It was seminars outside of Penang, but this time, I had difficulty trying to figure maghrib. Chandra asked whether he could out what to pack. Yes, towels and handkerchiefs. His shirts - I kept pray with his family." pulling one after another. Chandra said, "Not too many. It won't be I don't know how many Special to slow down. He was looking for long". Four then. Don't forget Branch officers were in the arresting exhausted with dark rings under his my prayer "mat", he said. team. eyes. He had not been sleeping well as he felt something ominous was called the children over to hroughout it aU, l did not about to take place. He finally I pack his toilet things. There, T shed a tear. I guess the shock, relented and agreed t-e take the farrUiy one bulging bag badly packed. The the anger and bitterness in me must to the beach on Sunday, November 1. children went up to kiss him. He have been so intense that I couldn't We never got there. was all set to go with the Special react otherwise. It was only as I Branch officers when the call for watched the car disappear with him he good thing that did ... prayer came. It was maghrib. Chandra that the tears came. The arrest is T happen before his arrest asked whether he could pray with completely unwarranted and was that he watched the movie on his family. They obliged. I told the unjustified. There never has been Nelson Mandela over TV3 and was children to go ahead as I felt I had a person more committed, more moved to tears by it. I believed that to stay and watch over the Special caring, more selfless as Chandra. it was divine intervention that made Branch officer. l went into the He gave up a comfortable salaried him watch the movie of a man who bedroom after they had finished job in the university to work full­ till today is still imprisoned for his praying to hold him for the last time in Aliran. beliefs and ideals. This would certainly time. There was nothing left to be give Chandra that added strength said. handra is a tireless worker. which we all know he undoubtedly The Special Branch officers C In all our years of marriage, has and needs now. asked me to sign the acknowledgement Chandra l1as never wasted a single paper listing out the books they were moment of his life on frivolous things taking with them - 28 in all. Books be it a holiday, sitting in front of n the second day of the that carried iitles on Communism the T.V. or on empty, mea.ningless 0 arrest, the children and I and Marxism. What lopsidedness! conversations. What little free time went over to the Penang Police To every book on communism in he had, he spent on reading, writing, headquarters to try and see him. the house there were five on religion. conscientizing others. The Chief of the Special Branch Chandra's a voracious reader and told me that it was not possible. like any true scholar, he reads a He gave me his assurance however wide range of titles and this includes n fact, just days before the that Chandra is in good health and communism. He has always maintained I arrest, I was pleading with him that everything was fine. that in order to fight your enemy you must first of all know how he thinks. Incredibly enough, some of "The children, thank God, understand their the books taken were critical of Marxism and Communism e.g. father is innocent ... They know their father is Marxism and Other Western Fallacies, Reason and Revolution, The Captive undergoing a period of trial and tribulation in Mind. pursuit .of Truth." efore leaving the house, B Chandra took his copy of was finally given the green the Quran. At 7 .15pm he stepped I light to visit him a week later into the police car and was inunediately on November 3. Together with his sandwiched by two of them. I insisted mother and sister and our two children, that his wheelchair be taken along we turned up at the Police headquarters as he cannot cover distances. This at 10.30am. We were ushered into would also act as a reminder to his the visitor's room which was v.er:f captors of his physical limitations cold and the air-conditioner was and that he was enduring enough rather noisy.