M’sian activists on streets again to assert rights

HUNDREDS of activists took to the streets here on Wednesday to assert their right to protest following a recent crackdown on public demonstrations that led to dozens of arrests.

Police used tear gas and water cannon and detained opposition leaders, on charges including illegal assembly and sedition after several banned street rallies infuriated the government last month.

Five leaders of an ethnic Indian rights group Hindraf, that led some of the street demonstrations, are being held under Malaysia's tough Internal Security Act which allows indefinite detention without trial.

'This right to assemble is very fundamental,' rights group leader and organiser S. Arutchelvan told reporters at Wednesday's demonstration.

'We want to go all out to protect this right because once you curb the right to freedom of assembly, then society goes downhill,' he added.

Mr Arutchelvan, who is a leader of the opposition Malaysian Socialist Party, led the rally outside the Human Rights Commission here before submitting a memorandum demanding the right to assemble to the state-backed rights body.

At least 200 supporters turned up for the rally which was watched closely by police, who did not break-up the gathering.

Last week, police arrested several lawyers and supporters who took part in a UN Human Rights Day walk highlighting the right to assemble.

'If any event is seen as a dissenting voice then it is immediately stopped,' Latheefa Koya, who was among the lawyers arrested previously, told reporters.

'All rallies now seem to end up with someone being arrested and that is a clear sign of preventive measures done by the police, a real infringement on the right to assemble,' she added.

Two major rallies last month, which police broke up using tear gas, water cannon and baton charges, sent shockwaves through the nation which is home to large ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities.

An electoral reform protest last month drew at least 30,000 people, and a week later 8,000 people protested against discrimination towards Indians.

They were protesting against alleged discrimination by Muslim Malays who comprise 60 per cent of the population and control the government. — AFP