Kualalumpur: 9 human rights activists, lawyers held

Anti-govt. protest in Malaysian capital, 9 held
(The Hindu, Dec. 10, 2007)

Kuala Lumpur (PTI): The Malaysian police on Sunday arrested nine people after protesters gathered here demanding "freedom of assembly" and accusing the government of rights abuses, a fortnight after the police crackdown on thousands of ethnic Indians who staged a rally against alleged mariginalisation.

A group of 50 people, including lawyers and activists, wearing surgical masks, staged a "Peace Walk" past Kuala Lumpur's landmark Independence Square, to mark World Human Rights Day tomorrow but were stopped by over 300 policemen.

Local police chief Che Hamzah Che Ismail said eight people, including four lawyers, were detained for illegal assembly after defying an order to disperse, the state-run Bernama agency reported.

The protesters, who held banners that read "freedom of assembly" and "Government that abuses human rights is terrorist", gathered in front of the Sogo Shopping Complex before walking to the Bar Council building, about 2km away.

The Bar Council, which represent some 12,000 lawyers, had earlier called of a planned march after it was denied permission by the police.

Another lawyer was detained when he tried to stop the police from tearing down banners at the Bar Council's building. Accusing the police of high-handedness and of resorting to "bullying tactics," Bar Council President Ambiga Sreenevasan told reporters: "This is a sad day for human rights in Malaysia."

Justifying the police action, Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, who is also Internal Security Minister, said the Government does not practise double standard when taking action against law breakers even if they are lawyers.

"Even today I've been informed that police have arrested eight people. Even though they are lawyers, if they break the law, definitely action will be taken against them. "There is no favouritism whatsoever on this matter," he told reporters after giving away prizes to golfers here.

Former deputy prime minister Anwar Irahim, who had criticised the Nov 25 crackdown on ethnic Indians, condemned the arrests as "scare tactics".

"The law is being used in Malaysia to subvert freedom and to suppress the people's fundamental democratic right to peaceful assembly," he said in a statement.
Malaysia's government as been shaken by recent street rallies, including one in early November when 30,000 demonstrators converged here calling for electoral reforms.

Thousands of ethnic Indians held a rally against alleged discrimination against the community that makes up eight percent of the population in the Muslim-majority country.
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