POLITICS
Thai Muslims voice support for Anwar Ibrahim
Bangkok Post, 29 Sep 98
Report by Ekkarat Mukem
Hat Yai, Kuala Lumpur
Thousands of Muslim people have joined forces to push for justice for
Anwar
Ibrahim, the former Malaysian deputy premier.
Representatives of Muslim youth associations, lecturers and students
met in
Yala and formed the Fairness Protection Group for Malaysia.
Barsoh Salae, former chairman of the Thai Muslim Youth Association of
Thailand, said the alliance would publicise the plight of Mr Anwar,
who is
being held without charge under the Internal Security Act.
Many mosques in the three southernmost provinces were organising daily
prayers for Mr Anwar, who has been accused of sedition and sexual
impropriety and whose whereabouts are unknown.
Muslims in the South would continue to support Mr Anwar despite threats
to
call off their campaign, he said.
Meanwhile, three Malaysian political parties and 10 NGOs have come out
to
protest against the detention of Mr Anwar, ordered by Mahathir Mohamad,
the
Malaysian prime minister.
The groups have called for protests in all 13 states unless Mr Mahathir
resigns after ordering the release of Mr Anwar and his supporters and
the
dismissal of the national police chief.
In Kuala Lumpur, riot police chased thousands of demonstrators demanding
Mr
Anwar's release. Chanting "Reformasi" - reform - they marched from
a
courthouse carrying banners that said: "Free Anwar."
Policemen, drumming their shields, advanced and then began to chase
them
through the lanes and into the main shopping district where startled
holiday shoppers huddled into corners.
Dozens of protesters were grabbed and pushed into police buses. Police
refused to say how many were detained. Suaram, a local human rights
group,
said 60 people were arrested.
Among them was Tien Chua, chairman of the newly-formed Coalition for
People's Democracy, an umbrella group of organisations that back Mr
Anwar,
said Suaram.