SUARAM GESA KERAJAAN UNTUK MEMBAWA PULANG REMAJA MALAYSIA YANG DIPENJARAKAN 25 TAHUN DI KEMBOJA

(ENGLISH VERSION AT BELOW)

Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) ingin membawa perhatian terutamanya Perdana Menteri, YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim mengenai satu kes tahanan remaja, warganegara Malaysia di Kemboja. Tahanan bernama Hemakavin a/l Karthigesu, berumur 19 tahun semasa ditangkap merupakan mangsa kepada sindiket dadah. 

Kes ini berlaku pada tahun 2016, di mana Hemakavin telah diperdaya oleh teman wanitanya yang menawarkan tiket penerbangan percuma untuk melancong ke Kemboja. Beliau diberitahu bahawa ada beberapa orang lain (kakak kepada teman wanita dan juga teman lelakinya) yang akan menyertai percutian tersebut. 

Pada hari yang sepatutnya mereka berempat bertolak ke Kemboja, Hemakavin dimaklumkan bahawa beliau harus bertolak terlebih dahulu. Alasan yang diberikan adalah tiket mereka bertiga mempunyai masalah teknikal dan berjanji akan menyusul kemudian. Setibanya di Kemboja, Hemakavin dihubungi oleh seseorang yang tidak dikenali. Individu berkenaan memperkenalkan dirinya sebagai kawan kepada teman wanitanya. Hemakavin telah diminta untuk pergi ke satu bilik hotel seorang diri untuk berehat dan membantu mengenal pasti sama ada barang milikan teman wanitanya ada di bilik tersebut.

Sebaik sahaja Hemakavin masuk ke bilik hotel tersebut, beliau telah ditangkap dan digari oleh pegawai-pegawai polis anti-narkotik Kemboja. Hemakavin didakwa terlibat dalam penyeludupan dadah dengan seorang lagi warganegara Malaysia. Pihak polis anti-narkotik Kemboja telah menyuruh Hemakavin memegang satu peti logam untuk diambil gambar. Hemakavin kemudian telah dituduh dan dibicarakan di mahkamah. Cap jari Hemakavin di atas peti logam pula dipamerkan sebagai bahan bukti dalam perbicaraan. Dengan bukti itu, Hemakavin didapati bersalah dan disabitkan 25 tahun di penjara dan denda sebanyak 40 million riel (lebih kurang RM45,000). Rayuan Hemakavin di peringkat Mahkamah Rayuan Kemboja juga ditolak.

Ahli keluarga telah melakukan pelbagai cara untuk membantu Kavin, ini termasuklah:

a.     Membuat laporan polis;

b.     Membuat aduan kepada dua agensi iaitu Suruhanjaya Integriti Agensi Penguatkuasaan (EAIC) dan Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia (SUHAKAM) berkenaan sindiket dadah yang memperalatkan anak muda sebagai keldai dadah;

c.     Meminta bantuan Ahli Parlimen untuk membangkitkan isu ini dalam persidangan Dewan Rakyat;

d.     Meminta bantuan Jabatan Peguam Negara Malaysia untuk berhubung dengan Peguam Negara Kemboja untuk semakan semula kes Hemakavin akibat kegagalan sistem keadilan atau ‘miscarriage of justice’;

e.     Meminta bantuan kerajaan terutamanya Kementerian Luar Negeri untuk menggunakan pendekatan diplomatik dua hala dan memohon pengampunan bagi pihak Hemakavin.

Walau bagaimanapun, segala usaha tersebut masih belum membuahkan keadilan di pihak Hemakavin. 

SUARAM menyeru YAB Perdana Menteri Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim untuk meneliti semula kes Hemakavin a/l Karthigesu dan berusaha untuk membawa Hemakavin pulang ke Malaysia. Kami turut berharap YAB Perdana Menteri membangkitkan kes ini serta membincangkan jalan penyelesaian dengan kerajaan Kemboja ketika lawatan rasmi beliau ke Kemboja pada hujung bulan Mac 2023.

SUARAM mewakili ahli keluarga Hemakavin a/l Karthigesu untuk menuntut dua perkara daripada kerajaan Malaysia, iaitu menggunakan pendekatan diplomatik dua hala seperti berikut:

i.               Memohon Pengampunan Diraja bagi pihak Hemakavin untuk mengurangkan tempoh penjara ataupun membebaskan beliau sepenuhnya;

ii.              Mencapai persetujuan dengan kerajaan Kemboja dalam Program Pemindahan Antarabangsa Banduan untuk membawa Hemakavin pulang.

Tahun ini merupakan tahun ketujuh Hemakavin menjalani hukuman penjara bagi kesalahan yang beliau sendiri. Bak kata pepatah Bahasa Inggeris, ‘Justice delayed is justice denied’. Hemakavin telah mengalami satu perbicaraan yang tidak adil di mana beliau telah disabitkan dengan pemalsuan bahan bukti. Kami berpendapat bahawa sudah tiba masanya kerajaan baharu mengambil perhatian kes ini. Keadilan harus ditegakkan untuk Hemakavin dan juga buat mereka yang menjadi mangsa kepada penyeludupan dadah.

Selamatkan Hemakavin. Bawalah Hemakavin pulang ke Malaysia!

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SUARAM URGES MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT TO BRING HOME YOUNG OFFENDER IMPRISONED FOR 25 YEARS IN CAMBODIA

Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) wishes to draw attention, particularly that of the Prime Minister, YAB Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim, to the case of a young Malaysian national, Hemakavin a/l Karthigesu, who is currently imprisoned in Cambodia. Hemakavin, who was 19 years old at the time of his arrest, was a victim of a drug syndicate.

This incident took place in 2016, when Hemakavin was offered free flight tickets to Cambodia for a holiday by his girlfriend. He was told that her sister and her boyfriend would also be joining them. On the day of departure, Hemakavin was informed by his girlfriend that he would have to leave for Cambodia on his own first, due to technical issues with their tickets. She promised, however, that they would meet him there later. Upon arriving in Cambodia, Hemakavin was contacted by a stranger who introduced himself as his girlfriend’s friend. Hemakavin was asked to go to a hotel room on his own to rest first and help check if his girlfriend’s belongings were in the room. 

As soon as Hemakavin entered the hotel room, he was arrested and handcuffed by the Cambodian anti-narcotics police officers. Hemakavin and another Malaysian national were charged with drug trafficking. The Cambodian police officers instructed Hemakavin to hold a metal box for a photo of him to be taken. He was then accused and tried in court, with his fingerprint on the metal box presented as court evidence. Based on this evidence, Hemakavin was found guilty and sentenced to 25 years in prison and a fine of 40 million riel (approximately RM45,000). Hemakavin’s appeal at the Cambodian Court of Appeal was also dismissed.

Hemakavin’s family members have taken various measures to help him, including:

a.     Lodging a police report;

b.     Lodging complaints to two agencies, namely the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) and the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM), regarding the exploitation of young people as drug mules by the drug syndicate;

c.     Seeking the help of Members of Parliament to raise this issue in the Dewan Rakyat;

d.     Seeking the assistance of the Malaysian Attorney-General's Chambers to contact the Cambodian Attorney General for a review of Hemakavin's case due to miscarriage of justice;

e.     Seeking government assistance, particularly from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, appeal for clemency on behalf of Hemakavin via bilateral diplomatic avenues.

Despite tireless efforts at all aforementioned fronts, Hemakavin's pursuit of justice remains elusive. 

SUARAM urges the Prime Minister, YAB Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim, to review Hemakavin a/l Karthigesu's case and to take steps to ensuring that Hemakavin is brought home. One such step that we hope to see the Prime Minister implement is to raise this issue with the Cambodian government and to discuss possible solutions with them during his official visit to Cambodia at the end of March 2023.

On behalf of Hemakavin a/l Karthigesu’s family, SUARAM demands that the Malaysian government to employ all bilateral diplomatic avenues available to bring about justice for Hemakavin, specifically in two ways:

i.               Appeal for Royal Pardon for Hemakavin that will either reduce his prison sentence or secure his full release;

ii.              Reach an agreement with the Cambodian Government to bring Hemakavin home via an International Prisoner Transfer Programme.

This year marks Hemakavin's seventh year of imprisonment for a crime he did not commit. Justice delayed is justice denied. Hemakavin was unfairly tried and convicted with falsified evidence. We believe it is time for the new government to take notice of this case. Justice must be served for Hemakavin and for all those who have fallen victim to drug trafficking.

Save Hemakavin. Bring Hemakavin back to Malaysia!