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©The
Sun (Used by permission)
by Charles Ramendran, Tim Leonard and Giam Say Khoon
PETALING JAYA (Nov 10, 2008): All but one of the 23 people arrested last night
for taking part in a candlelight vigil opposite the Civic Centre on Jalan Yong
Shook Lin here were released by 7am today after their statements were recorded.
Those detained included PJ Utara MP Tony Pua, Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lau Weng
San, Selangor exco member Ronnie Liu, Malaysiakini.com videographer
Syukri Mohammed and Catholic priest Father Paulino Miranda from a church in Shah
Alam. Some accused the police of roughing them up.
The arrests have prompted several non-governmental organisations to criticise
the police for being heavy-handed although it was a peaceful gathering.
Selangor police chief DCP Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said the only person still in
custody is wanted for a rape case reported in Pahang in 2006.
He said the wanted man, who is in his 30's, has a string of criminal records.
Khalid, who was at the scene, said police had been fair to those at the vigil by
first ordering them to disperse about 30 minutes before action was taken.
"The gatherings had been going on for the past four consecutive weekends. Each
time we warned them that what they were doing was illegal as they did not have a
permit. We took no action except order them to disperse.
"On Sunday, it was the same thing. They dispersed as told but went on to
assemble again near the Civic Centre. This is disobedience of the law and as the
chief police officer of the state, it is my duty to uphold order in the state."
He said the Light Strike Force (LSF) had to use minimal force when a few
resisted arrest.
Khalid said he had to act was there had been complaints by business operators
and residents near the Jalan Timur field where the gathering took place.
"If we keep turning a blind eye over such illegal assemblies then it will appear
as if this is a state of lawlessness and some people will take advantage of the
situation. I have told them to hold such gatherings in a hall or enclosed place
but they do not want to. If they did, we will not disturb them, just as how we
allowed the Pakatan Rakyat rally at the Kelana Jaya stadium."
Khalid quashed talks of double standards, as even when Umno had wanted to hand
over a memorandum to the state secretariat in the past, police were deployed to
the scene. He said they however dispersed when ordered to.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar told reporters in Parliament he was
only informed about the rally today and will have to check if there was an abuse
of power.
"Police work is police work. Their responsibility is to maintain law and order.
This is police routine work and if you have done anything that affects the law
and order, the police have taken action and if you are not happy with it, you
bring it specifically and let me check on it," he said.
The brickbats:
> Bar Council expressed disappointment over the disappropriate and heavy-handed
approach adopted by the police at the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih)-organised
vigil to call for an end to the Internal Security Act (ISA).
Its vice-president Ragunath Kesavan called on police to protect the rights of
speech, expression and assembly of all those who legitimately engage in
expressing dissent, fairly and without bias.
He said it was alarming that police started dispersing the people as early as a
hour before the vigil started and that it was not necessary to use physical
force and causing injuries to some participants, as the group was reportedly
calm and did not pose any threat to public order.
He also expressed concern that the authorities seem to use the law selectively,
breeding notions of bias.
"Several demonstrations over the Pakatan Rakyat government's policies in Penang
and Selangor have proceeded without much harassment nor arrests by the police,"
he said.
> DAP's Tony Pua and Lau Weng San told reporters at Parliament lobby that police
disperse the crowd when they were singing the national anthem prior to leaving
the Civic Centre where they were gathered.
Pua said his shirt was torn as he was grabbed by two police officers, kicked in
the stomach by another officer and thrown into the truck although he told them
he was the MP for the constituency and that he could walk himself to the truck.
Lau, who nursed a busted lip and scratched face as a result of the arrest, said
he was punched in the face by a plainclothes policeman and dragged to the truck
when he inquired about the situation of other detainees.
He added he has lodged a police report and requested a medical examination as
well as an identification parade because he can remember the police officer
clearly.
Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) said the incident showed the police have
forgotten the recommendation of the Royal Police Commission that the force
should become an efficient, professional, incorruptible world-class police
service with three priority objectives – to keep crime low, eradicate corruption
and respect human rights.
> Bersih said police charged on participants as they were singing the national
anthem outside the Civic Hall.
"We are deeply appalled by the unusual manner of the police dispersal of
citizens in a peaceful gathering," read the statement.
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