Detained Keadilan leader Tian Chua has been forbidden from sending Hari Raya greeting cards to his Muslim friends.

According to Suaram co-ordinator S Arutchelvan, Kamunting detention camp authorities on Tuesday confiscated 50 greeting cards signed by Chua, which were to be passed to his family for posting when they visited him.

"The authorities took the cards on the pretext of investigating them.

"Later, they told Chua that the officer in charge decided his family could not take the cards out of the camp as they found it to have 'content that is objectionable'," Arutchelvan said in a letter of objection sent to the camp authorities today.

Arutchelvan added that the act of forbidding Chua from sending the cards was inhumane, malicious and illogical.

"We question the justification of such an action. As a political detainee, Tian has the right to communicate with the people outside.

Baffling

"It's baffling that these cards which are meant to only send greetings to friends could have contents that were objectionable," Arutchelvan said.

He added that the camp authorities violated article 37 of the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoner which was adopted by the First United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders that was held in Geneva in 1955.

The article states that "Prisoners shall be allowed under necessary supervision to communicate with their family and reputable friends at regular intervals, both by correspondence and by receiving visits".

Aruthclevan pointed out that many of Chua's correspondence from well-wishers and friends have yet to reach him.

The two-paged letter addressed to the officer-in-charge of the Kamunting detention camp was also sent to Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) chairperson Musa Hitam and United Nations Human Rights Commissioner Mary Robinson.

Tian, who is Keadilan vice-president, is currently serving a two-year detention order under the Internal Security Act for allegedly seeking to topple the government via militant means.

Keadilan youth leaders Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor, Saari Sungib, Lokman Nor Adam and malaysiakini columnist-cum-filmmaker Hishamudin Rais are also serving a two-year detention at Kamunting under the same act.