No contact made by cops in brutality probe, say Bersih activists
By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 — Bersih 2.0 rally organisers and observers today confirmed that their accounts of police brutality have not been recorded by investigators, raising doubts if their complaints will be fairly assessed in the ongoing police probe on what transpired during the rally.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar had announced yesterday that the probe, conducted by six newly-formed committees, was nearly complete and that findings would be revealed in public “very soon”.
“As far as I know, I do not think that anyone has been called. If anyone is called up to speak to the cops, the steering committee members are usually kept informed on an email thread,” said Dr Subramaniam Pillay, one of Bersih 2.0’s steering committee members.
“But on this matter… so far, nothing. We have not been asked to surrender videos or pictures, not that I know of.”
The Inspector-General of Police had told a press conference at the Bukit Aman headquarters yesterday that the probe would include a careful study of all videos and pictures of the rally and interviews with police officers on duty that day, the general public and rally participants or eyewitnesses.
Bar Council vice-president Christopher Leong confirmed with The Malaysian Insider that none of the council’s over 100 rally monitors had been called up to aid investigations although the probe commenced last week.
“I have spoken to our CEO Rajen Devaraj and as far as we know, the police have not contacted the council or our monitoring team to get any input. We have not been asked to surrender videos or pictures,” he said when contacted.
The council’s monitors have compiled their own observations in a special report released after the rally, concluding that the police had “arbitrarily, indiscriminately and excessively” used unnecessary force on Bersih 2.0 protestors.
Apart from the Bar Council, human rights group Suhakam had two commissioners and more than 30 staff members on the ground during the protest, while PAS had deployed more than 5,000 unit amal members.
“I am very sure that none of our people were called to offer our views. As far as I know, no one has told us anything about this,” Suhakam commissioner James Nayagam told The Malaysian Insider when contacted.
PAS MP Dr Mohd Hatta Ramli, who was in the thick of the chaos on July 9, also confirmed with The Malaysian Insider that the police have yet to seek input from any party member.
