Rabu, 29 Jun 2011

01 di batu pahat - Google Blog Search

01 di batu pahat - Google Blog Search


'Bullied by the state' | Free Malaysia Today

Posted: 29 Jun 2011 12:41 AM PDT

Bersih supporters denounce police for kowtowing to BN

UPDATED

KUALA LUMPUR: It is state-sponsored intimidation. That is what activists are saying about the police crackdown on supporters of the July 9 Bersih rally.

Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh, Sarah Devaraj of Suaram and Maria Chin Abdullah of the Bersih 2.0 steering committee spoke to reporters in the parliament lobby today about the ongoing arrests and accused the Royal Malaysian Police Force of allowing itself to be used by Barisan Nasional for its selfish interest.

Chin said 15 police officers were in the midst of raiding Bersih's Petaling Jaya office even as the press conference was going on. Bersih activists told FMT afterwards that the officers refused to produce a warrant allowing the raid.

In Sungai Siput this morning, police arrested 14 DAP and PKR members for being in possession of the yellow T-shirts associated with the July 9 Walk for Democracy. That brought to 95 the number of those arrested so far in connection with the rally.

"When was wearing these T-shirts against the law?" said Fuziah. "The police are being used by BN for its own interests."

Chin alleged that eight of the arrested 95 were being held in solitary confinement and said she was bewildered by the heavy-handed police action.

"Solitary confinement for wearing T-shirts? What is this justice that we are talking about? Why are they so hard on us just because we want free and fair elections?"

Devaraj said Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ismail Omar was accountable for the recent raids and arrests.

"We call upon the IGP to release all those arrested thus far," she said, citing the Federal Constitution as guaranteeing the right to peaceful assembly.

"We want them to be released without any charges."

Be positive, Mahfuz tells BN

Meanwhile, PAS leader Mahfuz Omar urged the government to exercise positive thinking in dealing with the prospect of the July 9 mass rally.

Mass arrests and other harsh measures against supporters of the Bersih march would not improve BN's reputation as a ruling government, said Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar, who is a vice-president in PAS.

He said the arrests, the outlawing of Bersih T-shirts and other acts of intimidation were counter-productive.

"The government needs positive thinking, and that is to allow this gathering," he told reporters in the parliament lobby.

"It will reduce the people's anger."

According to Mahfuz, the ruling elite is making a grave political mistake.

"The actions of the police, driven by Umno and BN interests, plus Home Minister Hishammuddin's statements will only increase people's anger and hatred against them," he said.

He said that the government would have scored points with Malaysians if it had allowed the rally to proceed.

"People would have thought, 'Oh, this is great of BN. It is democratic of them.'

"Unfortunately, they have chosen to veil their hearts."

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