Sunday, July 10, 2011

Malaysia gov't fights criticism after rally chaos

Malaysian activists from Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih), background, sit on a street as they face riot police during a rally in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Saturday, July 9, 2011. Police fired tear gas and detained hundreds of activists as those demonstrators massed Saturday across Malaysia's main city demanding electoral reforms in the country's biggest political rally in years. The "Bersih" means "clean" in Malay. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Malaysian activists from Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) shout on a street during a rally in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Saturday, July 9, 2011. Police fired tear gas and detained hundreds of activists as those demonstrators massed across Malaysia's main city demanding electoral reforms in the country's biggest political rally in years. The "Bersih" means "clean" in Malay. (AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin)

07.10.11
By SEAN YOONG
Associated Press

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Malaysian authorities sought Sunday to deflect criticism that the government was suppressing dissent after making mass arrests and unleashing tear gas against at least 20,000 demonstrators who marched for electoral reforms.

The political fallout from rare scenes of mayhem in Kuala Lumpur is certain to complicate efforts by Prime Minister Najib Razak's ruling coalition to bolster its support ahead of general elections that many expect to be held within a year.

International rights groups and Malaysian opposition parties denounced the government's response to the country's largest political rally in four years, which resulted in the arrest of 1,667 people Saturday. All were freed without immediate charges by Sunday.

Amnesty International called it "the worst campaign of repression we've seen in (Malaysia) for years," while Human Rights Watch said it was "a maelstrom of the Malaysian authorities' own making."


Najib's declaration that the rally was unlawful and repeated warnings over the past month for people to avoid it have sparked criticism that his National Front coalition wants to extend its 54-year rule by ensuring that election policies favor the government. The coalition's mandate expires in mid-2013 but many expect national polls by next year.

The rally was organized by civic groups backed by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's three-party alliance. They were urging authorities to clean up voter registration lists, implement stricter measures to curb electoral fraud and allow fair access to the government-linked media for all parties.

Anwar's alliance said a 59-year-old member died from a heart attack during the rally, though police denied opposition allegations that he was hit by tear gas. Anwar himself was hospitalized overnight because of a knee injury after slipping when police tried to break up his group.

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein insisted in a statement received Sunday that the demonstrators sought to "create chaos in this country and hoped to be arrested in order to portray the government as cruel."

Hishammuddin praised police, saying they performed their duties with "bravery, fairness and integrity" while confronting what he called provocative actions by protesters. He also claimed authorities over the past week discovered hidden stashes of weapons, homemade firebombs and other dangerous items that protesters might have used.

The minister's statement contrasted sharply with narratives by participants, who said they were marching peacefully to a stadium from various parts of downtown Kuala Lumpur when riot police repeatedly fired tear gas and chemical-laced water and charged at them to make arrests.

Anwar said the crackdown showed the "extent of desperation of brutal action approved by Prime Minister Najib."

Many demonstrators posted photos on Twitter and Facebook that they claimed were evidence of police brutality, including tear gas canisters apparently lobbed into a hospital compound where protesters sought shelter.

The prime minister criticized the protesters late Saturday, saying they wanted to project "the impression that Malaysia had no political stability and exploit the issue as much as possible." Government-linked media said numerous businesses suffered because stores and restaurants closed because of public transport disruptions and fears of violence.

Protest organizers had no immediate plans for similar rallies. But Amnesty International urged the U.S. government to speak out against how Malaysian authorities handled Saturday's event, saying Washington's "credibility and effectiveness on human rights in the region" would suffer if it stays silent.

"Such silence will give (the) green light to other governments that they too can brutally suppress peaceful protests," Amnesty official T. Kumar said in a statement.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

កូនខ្មែរទូរទាំងពិភពលោកក្នុងនិងក្រៅប្រទេសត្រូវរួមកម្លាំងគ្នាធ្វើការបៈបោរដូចប្រទេស ម៉ាឡេហ្ស៊ីឥឡូវនេះ ដើម្បីទម្លាក់ទម្លាក់អារដ្ឋាភិបាលកញ្ជៈយួនឱយពួកវាចេញពីអំណាច។ យើងជាកូនខ្មែរត្រូវតែហ៊ានស្លាប់
ដើម្បីជាតិរស់ ទម្លាក់ពួកវាឱយបានទើបប្រទេសយើងអាចមានសុខសន្តិភាពបាន។ បន្តិចទៀតការបៈបោរនេះនិងឈានមកដល់ប្រទេសភូមា ទៀតហើយ ដូច្នេះវាកាន់តែខិតជិតមកដល់ប្រទេសខ្មែរយើងហើយ អាក្បត់ជាតិ ហ៊ុន សែននិងអាក្រពើយួនពួកវាកំពុងតែចាប់ផ្តើមញាក់សាច់ហើយពេលនេះ ទោះជាយ៉ាងណាក៏ដោយក៏ពួកវាមិនអាចធ្វើការទប់ស្កាត់បានដែរ។

Anonymous said...

and we thought only cambodia has its share of social issues, here! are we wrong?

Anonymous said...

ប្រជាពលរដ្ធខ្មែរត្រូវតែធ្វើបាតុកម្មដូររដ្ធធម្មនុញ្ញ
ខ្មែរ។នាយករដ្ធមន្ត្រី មានពីរអាណត្តិ ក្នុងមួយ
អាណត្តិមាន៥ឆ្នាំ ហើយគ្មានសិទ្ធិឈរឈ្មោះ
ជាបេក្ខជនទៀតមួយជីវិត។ចៅហ្វាយក្រុង
ចៅហ្វាយខេត្ត ចៅហ្វាយស្រុក ចៅសង្កាត់
ឬ មេឃុំ មេភូមិ មានអាណត្តិ៥ឆ្នាំដូចគ្នា
ហើយគ្មានសិទ្ធិឈរឈ្មោះជាអាណត្តិលើក
ទី៣។ត្រូវប្រើច្បាប់តាមលទ្ធិប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ។
ប្រជាពលរដ្ធម៉ាឡេស៊ីយ៉ា បាន ទៀមទារនេះ
ជាការត្រឹមត្រូវ ក្នុងបោះឆ្នោត និង ការរាប់
សន្លឹកឆ្នោតឲ្យមានយុត្តិធម៌ សច្ចធម៌ក្នុងសង្គម។

Anonymous said...

អា ហ៊ុន សែនជាចោរលក់ជាតិខ្មែរហើយពួកវាជាកញ្ជៈយួនដាច់ថ្លៃ។