Malaysian police said Wednesday they have arrested seven supporters of jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on suspicion of planning violent protests to topple Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's government.
They were held under a security law allowing indefinite detention without trial and police said they are hunting more people.
National police chief Norian Mai said Anwar's supporters had tried in the past to buy explosives and weapons for street protests.
He said the seven "Reformasi" (reform) supporters were detained Tuesday and Wednesday "because there was information about their involvement in an activity which could endanger the security of the country."
They planned to launch "large-scale street demonstrations in a militant way ahead of the 2004 (next general) elections."
International and local rights groups and opposition parties bitterly criticised the arrests under the feared Internal Security Act (ISA), saying Mahathir is trying to silence peaceful political dissent.
The ISA, a colonial relic designed to defeat a communist rebellion, allows indefinite detention without trial. It was its first use against political figures since Anwar and 27 supporters were detained in September 1998.
"It's a draconian law which they are using to stifle dissent," said Chandra Muzaffar, deputy president of the National Justice Party (Keadilan) headed by Anwar's wife.
"Keadilan has been singled out in an attempt to crush the party."
Amnesty International said it was "very concerned there is a political purpose behind the detentions."
The arrests were timed to derail plans to submit a memorandum to the human rights commission on Anwar's treatment this Saturday, April 14 -- KUALA LUMPUR (AFP)
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
