At a brief meeting with some 15 opposition members of Parliament today, human rights groups Suaram, Solidarity for Aceh and Amnesty International called for a course of action that is more humane towards Acehnese fleeing conflict in their home province in northern Sumatra.

They urged the government to play a more active role as an Asean member to resolve the conflict.

After peace talks between the Indonesian government and Free Aceh Movement broke down, the former ordered an all-out military offensive against separatists in mid-May. This triggered a mass exodus of Acehnese.

On Aug 20, 239 Acehnese were arrested outside the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Kuala Lumpur. Less than a month later, another 167 Acehnese were arrested in Limau Manis, a squatter colony near Putrajaya.

Malaysia is not signatory to UN conventions on refugees, and has come under intense pressure from Jakarta not to accept Acehnese. Those detained without valid documents are being deported in batches, with many also choosing to return of their own volition.

'Exercise power'

During the meeting, Solidaritity for Aceh co-ordinator K Shan noted that two separate memoranda presented to Suhakam to date had been endorsed by a total of 30 organisations.

However, Suhakam has not taken any concrete steps, even failing to issue any official statement against the arrests and detentions, he said.

Suhakam however today released a press statement lamenting the less than decent conditions of detention centres that house all illegal immigrants. It said that it had visited seven such centres following complaints and memoranda received pertaining to the arrest of illegal immigrants reported to be asylum seekers.

Meanwhile Suaram executive director Cynthia Gabriel urged deputy premier and Home Minister Abdullah Ahmad Bawadi to exercise his power of exemption on humanitarian grounds as well as to "protect Malaysia's international reputation".

"We ask the government to support the UNHCR's efforts to issue temporary protection letters to refugees and asylum-seekers, which state that they should not be arrested or deported for a period of six months respective to the period of martial law in Aceh," she said.

She suggested that the parliamentarians put pressure on government agencies to effect changes in policies towards Acehnese and other asylum-seekers.

They could, she said, approach the Attorney-General's Chambers to ask for legal reform on immigration laws, to reflect "the popular concerns" of Malaysians and existing international laws.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry could be asked to take on a more active role in resolving the Aceh conflict and promoting peace talks through Asean, she added.

"Seeing that the notion of regional stability and security is the paramount policy of Asean, it should play a key role in stopping the war in Aceh and facilitating peace talks between the Indonesian government and Free Aceh Movement."

Difference 'ignored'

Amnesty International campaign co-ordinator Joseph Roy said Malaysia could mediate between the 'warring parties', in the same way that it has played a role in the Muslim secessionist movement in southern Philippines.

Responding to a comment that, in the Philippines the line was much clearer between the Catholic Christian Filipinos and the Muslims of Mindanao, Joseph said that religion was not as prominent an issue in the Aceh conflict.

"Ordinary Acehnese just want to be left alone (to live their lives). To many of them, (the conflict) not about setting up an Islamic state. They just want to be allowed to live and benefit from the resources of their own land," he said.

Aceh Peace Initiative representative Latheefa Koya said the categorisation of the Acehnese as 'illegal immigrants' has ignored the difference between refugees and economic migrants.

"There is a huge gap between people who are fleeing their country because of military conflict and those who are here merely because they are looking for jobs," she said.

She alleged that the detainees are suffering under inhumane conditions at detention centres, adding that - even as illegal immigrants - they have the right to decent accommodation and shelter.

Speaking on behalf of Barisan Alternatif parliamentarians, PAS MP for Pokok Sena Mahfuz Omar said that they would try to table an emergency motion so that the issues could be raised in the Dewan Rakyat as soon as possible.