Army accused of being heavy-handed

Several organisations yesterday condemned the Armed Forces of Malta which they accused of being heavy handed with illegal immigrants during incidents at Safi Barracks on Thursday.

The organisations felt the problem was being fuelled by the armed forces' working conditions which they claimed was leading to frustration among the soldiers and the detainees.

Amnesty International welcomed Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi's prompt decision to order an inquiry, which it hoped would be both thorough and impartial.

"Prompt, thorough and impartial investigations, in line with international standards, with the scope, methods and findings made public, serve to protect the reputations of officers who may be the subject of unfounded accusations of ill-treatment, as well as to safeguard the interests of genuine victims of ill-treatment," Amnesty said.

The Malta Red Cross Society said it was in contact with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva, which has also expressed its concern and has asked to be kept informed of developments. Alternattiva Demokratika called for the immediate suspension of all those involved in acts of violence, an overhaul of the army's command structure and for the government to shoulder political responsibility.

"The issue is a time bomb and it is clear that the government has failed to reconcile humanitarian considerations and security issues," AD's spokesman for civil rights, James Debono, said.

"Anyone involved in unlawful acts of violence should be suspended from the army. This incident should also lead to an overhaul in the Maltese army's command structure. AD cannot have confidence in the army if this overhaul does not take place immediately."

Procedures should be introduced in the army to eradicate racism but on the other hand the AFM's working conditions, especially for those working in detention centres, should be improved, Mr Debono said.

Moviment Graffitti hoped that the perpetrators of such "human rights violations" would be brought to justice.

Some of the detainees did not deserve to be hospitalised just because they refused to return to their cells in a peaceful way, Graffitti said.

The Jesuit Refugee Service said that the beating up of unarmed detainees was a grave and worrying incident for all those who believe in the sacredness of human rights.

JRS recalled that the Safi detention centre came under fire in a report published last February and compiled by Alvaro Gil Robles, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, following an official visit to Malta in October 2003.

Apart from the appalling conditions within the detention centre, detainees must also live with the insecurity created by the almost total lack of information about the proceedings for the determination of their application for protection, JRS said.

Labour MP Joe Abela, a member of the Peace Lab, said that the perception of the detainees among army personnel was that they were criminals and they were treated as such.

"I visited Safi Barracks shortly before Christmas and I saw the immigrants there crammed; this is leading to frustration and tension.

"Illegal immigrants are still coming in and the problems inside the centres is frustrating, to say the least. The bottom line is that we now have proof that detention doesn't work," Mr Abela said.

Integra Foundation, a new organisation working for the integration of minorities, urged everybody to refrain from politicising the issue. "What is unacceptable, barbaric and offensive behaviour should not be tolerated, regardless of any party's agenda or policies," the organisation said.

Studenti Demokristjani Maltin took a more cautious approach, saying that even though it understood the illegal immigrants' distress due to the unpleasant conditions of detainment, nonetheless it was aware of the administrative burden caused by the influx of illegal immigrants over the past few years.

"SDM would like to commend the AFM personnel for their work and augurs that such incidents shall not occur frequently," it said.