The Asian Human Rights Commission is seriously concerned about the recent arrests and intimidation by the Malaysian government against the leaders and supporters of the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) in Malaysia.
Bersih 2.0, a coalition of over 60 NGOs, planned to hold a rally on July 9 to demand electoral reforms in Malaysia. The coalition is demanding the cleaning up of the electoral roll, reforming postal ballots, use of indelible ink, a minimum 21-day campaign period, free access to the media and the halt of corruption, etc. In response, the Malaysian government disallowed the rally and carried out arrests and intimidation against the leaders and supporters of Bersih 2.0. According to the human rights organizations in Malaysia, at least 150 persons have been arrested or summoned for investigation. Many people have been harassed and intimidated by the police for wearing Bersih 2.0 t-shirts and distributing Bersih 2.0 leaflets. Bersih 2.0 was also declared an illegal organisation by the government.
Freedom of expression, freedom of association and freedom of peaceful assembly are the basic rights of everyone. They are also important guarantees of the right to political participation for people to be involved in public decision making. The repressive actions of the Malaysian government have seriously violated these rights. Malaysia like Burma remains one of the last countries in Asia that refuse to sign the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
We strongly condemn the arbitrary arrest and detention of Bersih's leaders and supporters under the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969 (EO), the Sedition Act, Section 122 of the Penal Code, and other laws. In particular, we are concerned over the use of preventive detention under the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance which allows for detention without trial. The EO is equally as draconian as the Internal Security Act (ISA). The EO provides the police with powers to detain a person for up to 60 days. After the initial 60-day detention period, the Home Ministry can make an order authorising further detention without trial for a period of two years. This order can be renewed indefinitely. It is a blatant denial of the rights to civil liberties and circumvents the rule of law.
We call upon the Malaysian government to immediately release all the leaders and supporters of Bersih 2.0 being arbitrarily detained for exercising their freedom of expression; stop the arrest and intimidation of the leaders and supporters of Bersih 2.0; revoke the decision to declare the Bersih 2.0 an illegal organisation; and allow Bersih 2.0 to hold the rally as planned. Instead of attempting to silence Bersih 2.0 by clamping down on their freedom of expression the Malaysian government should look into their legitimate demands.
We also urge the Malaysian government to repeal the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969 and the Internal Security Act.
Source: http://www.humanrights.asia/news/ahrc-news/AHRC-STM-092-2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
BERSIH 2.0 SEEKS TO REMOVE
The applicants claimed that the order was illegal because the movement known
as Bersih 2.0 was substantively different from the movement known as Bersih and
Bersih, as it originally stood, no longer existed.
"The order cannot therefore in law be relied upon to restrict or make
illegal the activities of Bersih 2.0, and hence the announcement by the first
respondent (Home Affairs Minister) is illegal based on the order made and is
wrong in fact and law," they said.
Furthermore, they claimed that they were not given the opportunity to be
heard and to give their views before the Home Affairs Minister made the order.
Source: http://my.news.yahoo.com/news-bersih-2-0-seeks-remove-3-094248227.html
as Bersih 2.0 was substantively different from the movement known as Bersih and
Bersih, as it originally stood, no longer existed.
"The order cannot therefore in law be relied upon to restrict or make
illegal the activities of Bersih 2.0, and hence the announcement by the first
respondent (Home Affairs Minister) is illegal based on the order made and is
wrong in fact and law," they said.
Furthermore, they claimed that they were not given the opportunity to be
heard and to give their views before the Home Affairs Minister made the order.
Source: http://my.news.yahoo.com/news-bersih-2-0-seeks-remove-3-094248227.html
Malaysian authorities crack down on protesters
Malaysian authorities cracked down on protesters demanding free and fair elections Saturday, firing tear gas and arresting more than 1,600 people.
Some 1,667 people had been arrested as of early evening, according to the Royal Malaysia Police, with 16 children among them. Protest organizers said at a news conference earlier in the day that about 400 had been detained.
By Saturday night, police said the crowds had been dispersed.
The government said the protest, organized by a loose coalition of opposition groups known as Bersih 2.0, was illegal. It had already declared Bersih an illegal organization and police said anyone found with Bersih-related materials, such as yellow T-shirts, could be arrested.
"Malaysians of all walks of life overcame the oppressive acts of the police to come out peacefully and in incredibly large numbers to show their love for their country and for the principles of justice," the coalition said on its website.
Protesters take to streets in KL "We are nonetheless horrified that several hundred people have been detained, many of them without any justification whatsoever," it said.
Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was among hundreds of protesters who gathered at the Hilton hotel in Kuala Lumpur before heading toward the Sentral Station.
There the protesters breached police lines to march through the rail station, before being met by riot police with tear gas on the other side.
Ibrahim posted on his Twitter account that he had sustained a minor injury during the demonstration and that a staff member had been badly hurt. He also said his youngest daughter had been arrested.
Writing on his blog ahead of the protest, Ibrahim said the "intended peaceful gathering" was to bring Malaysians together "as one united people in pursuit of clean and fair elections."
He went on: "Our reason for gathering is pure and simple -- to demand that the electoral roll be cleaned, that the postal voting system be reformed, that indelible ink be used, a minimum 21 day campaign period be instated, free and fair access to media for all be provided, public institutions be strengthened, and for corruption as well as dirty politics to be stopped."
Opposition groups have been seeking to put pressure on the ruling party, which has been in power for decades, ahead of elections expected to be called next year.
Among their demands are the use of indelible ink to ensure that voters cannot cast more than one ballot and an extension of the campaigning period,
The Malaysian state news agency Bernama reported that the prime minister had attended an event Saturday at which he described the protest as "an illegal rally organised by a section of our community."
"If there are people who want to hold the illegal rally, there are even more who are against their plan to hold the illegal gathering," he is quoted as saying.
There was a strong police presence around the city and many roads had been closed off, local media reports said.
Some 1,667 people had been arrested as of early evening, according to the Royal Malaysia Police, with 16 children among them. Protest organizers said at a news conference earlier in the day that about 400 had been detained.
By Saturday night, police said the crowds had been dispersed.
The government said the protest, organized by a loose coalition of opposition groups known as Bersih 2.0, was illegal. It had already declared Bersih an illegal organization and police said anyone found with Bersih-related materials, such as yellow T-shirts, could be arrested.
"Malaysians of all walks of life overcame the oppressive acts of the police to come out peacefully and in incredibly large numbers to show their love for their country and for the principles of justice," the coalition said on its website.
Protesters take to streets in KL Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was among hundreds of protesters who gathered at the Hilton hotel in Kuala Lumpur before heading toward the Sentral Station.
There the protesters breached police lines to march through the rail station, before being met by riot police with tear gas on the other side.
Ibrahim posted on his Twitter account that he had sustained a minor injury during the demonstration and that a staff member had been badly hurt. He also said his youngest daughter had been arrested.
Writing on his blog ahead of the protest, Ibrahim said the "intended peaceful gathering" was to bring Malaysians together "as one united people in pursuit of clean and fair elections."
He went on: "Our reason for gathering is pure and simple -- to demand that the electoral roll be cleaned, that the postal voting system be reformed, that indelible ink be used, a minimum 21 day campaign period be instated, free and fair access to media for all be provided, public institutions be strengthened, and for corruption as well as dirty politics to be stopped."
Opposition groups have been seeking to put pressure on the ruling party, which has been in power for decades, ahead of elections expected to be called next year.
Among their demands are the use of indelible ink to ensure that voters cannot cast more than one ballot and an extension of the campaigning period,
The Malaysian state news agency Bernama reported that the prime minister had attended an event Saturday at which he described the protest as "an illegal rally organised by a section of our community."
"If there are people who want to hold the illegal rally, there are even more who are against their plan to hold the illegal gathering," he is quoted as saying.
There was a strong police presence around the city and many roads had been closed off, local media reports said.
A similar demonstration called by the Bersih coalition in 2007 was broken up by police using water cannon and tear gas, local reports say.
PSM 6 released after 28 days in detention
The Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) 6 have been released today after they were detained since July 2 for undefined charges during the Bersih 2.0 crackdown.
It is understood that they were released at 5.30pm at the Jinjang police station, following public outrage and sustained protests over their arbitrary detention.
The six PSM members - Choo Chon Kai, Sarat Babu, M Sarasvathy, M Sukumaran, A Letchumanan and Sungai Siput parliamentarian Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj - were initially detained on suspicion of planning to wage war against the King.
It was learnt that the charge was however changed several times, at one point accusing them of being ringleaders of the Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9.
In a short statement issued to the media, inspector-general of police Ismail Omar confirmed the release of the six from detention under the Emergency Ordinance.
“Following their release, further action will be determined by the attorney-general’s chambers,” he said in a two-paragraph statement.
When contacted, PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan and their lawyer Edmund Bon confirmed that the six were released at 5.30pm.
In an immediate response to the release of the PSM 6, DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang said the authorities should take responsibility for detaining the six with bad intentions.
“Informed PSM6 released by police. Victory of people n reason. Hishammuddin/IGP shld apologise 4mala fide detention. Najib shld repeal EO,” he said on a Twitter posting.
The PSM 6 will appeared in a 'victory celebration' at 7.30pm at the KL-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall.
Source: http://my.news.yahoo.com/psm-6-released-28-days-detention-102607362.html
It is understood that they were released at 5.30pm at the Jinjang police station, following public outrage and sustained protests over their arbitrary detention.
The six PSM members - Choo Chon Kai, Sarat Babu, M Sarasvathy, M Sukumaran, A Letchumanan and Sungai Siput parliamentarian Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj - were initially detained on suspicion of planning to wage war against the King.
It was learnt that the charge was however changed several times, at one point accusing them of being ringleaders of the Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9.
In a short statement issued to the media, inspector-general of police Ismail Omar confirmed the release of the six from detention under the Emergency Ordinance.
“Following their release, further action will be determined by the attorney-general’s chambers,” he said in a two-paragraph statement.
When contacted, PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan and their lawyer Edmund Bon confirmed that the six were released at 5.30pm.
In an immediate response to the release of the PSM 6, DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang said the authorities should take responsibility for detaining the six with bad intentions.
“Informed PSM6 released by police. Victory of people n reason. Hishammuddin/IGP shld apologise 4mala fide detention. Najib shld repeal EO,” he said on a Twitter posting.
The PSM 6 will appeared in a 'victory celebration' at 7.30pm at the KL-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall.
Source: http://my.news.yahoo.com/psm-6-released-28-days-detention-102607362.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)