Suhakam to probe 'police violence'

The humans rights watchdog believes that human rights violations may have taken place during the Bersih rally.

UPDATED

KUALA LUMPUR: Suhakam will hold a public inquiry into the allegations of excessive force used by the police during last Saturday’s Bersih 2.0 rally.

Suhakam vice-chairman Prof Dr Khaw Lake Tee said the inquiry would be launched as soon as possible.

“We are currently compiling the evidence and we also urge the public to come forward to testify,” she added.

Khaw was speaking to reporters here after receiving a joint memorandum from Bersih 2.0 and Suaram regarding the alleged police violence.

While the government denied that police had used excessive force, video footage and photographs from the rally suggested otherwise.

“In view of the number of complaints of excessive force used and the preventive actions of the police, we believe that various violations of human rights may have occured,” said Khaw.


She said the complaints included the serious allegation that tear gas was fired into the Tung Shin hospital, the death of Baharuddin Ahmad who collapsed after fleeing from the FRU as well as the denial of acess to legal assistance for those detained.

Khaw said Suhakam was still studying what the terms of reference of the inquiry would be and hoped that it could be held as soon as next month.

“We will be taking testimonies from witnesses as well as from the police, we want to hear from both sides. We also had our own people on the ground on July 9 who monitored the situation,” she said, adding that an announcement would be issued soon.

Khaw also said that Suhakam had the power to compell witnesses to attend the hearing with subpeonas under the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Act.

Victims, eyewitnesses tell their stories

Earlier, Suhakam heard from several eyewitnesses and victims of alleged police brutality, including the first hand account of PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu.

The opposition leader was now confined to a wheelchair following a knee injury which he suffered when he was allegedly knocked down by a police car during the rally.

The Bersih 2.0 representatives and supporters present at the Suhakam headquaters applauded when Khaw revealed that a public inquiry would be held.

Welcoming the move, Bersih 2.0 steering committee member Maria Chin Abdullah said: “We will now assist in compiling more cases and hope more people will come forward with their own accounts. So far we have more than 10 cases of police assaults.”

The memorandum, read out by Suaram coordinator Lucas Yap and Bersih 2.0′s Temmee Lee, also urged Suhakam to pressure the government to review legislation which restricted or prohibited peaceful assemblies.

The memorandum asked Suhakam to focus on several key incidents of violence:

• the avoidable death of Baharuddin Ahmad

• violent arrest of Mohamad Sabu

• unwarranted police attacks at the KL Sentral underpass

• violent abuse by police

• indiscriminate shooting of water cannons and tear gas into areas of essential services (eg. Tung Shin Hospital)

In the memorandum, it was also highlighted that 223 people were arrested or called up between July 22 and July 8, even before the rally. This included six Parti Sosialis Malaysia members currently detained without trial under the Emergency Ordinance.

“Bersih 2.0 events also faced obstacles from the police including the setting up of road blocks, sealing off venues and harrassing local organisers and arresting those wearing or selling Bersih 2.0 shirts,” Lee said.
She also said the police raided the office of Empower, an NGO endorsee of Bersih 2.0, on June 28 and did not produce any warrants and had threatened to break into the office.

She added that the mainstream media then wrongly painted Empower as “reviving communism.” Bersih 2.0 was subsequently declared an illegal organisation on July 1.

“The mainstream media went out of their way to paint prominent members of Bersih 2.0 as fronts for ‘foreign powers’ with very little credible evidence offered. Other accusations include instigating chaos, racial riot, violence, backed by Christians, Jews and communists, to name a few,” said Lee.

She also said various institutions, including the Election Commission (EC), also played a part in the smear campaign against Bersih 2.0, with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak calling the coalition’s chairperson S Ambiga an “enemy of Islam”.

“Students in local universities also received a circular prohibiting them from attending any ‘illegal rallies’ under threat of expulsion. Civil servants also received threats of disciplinary action and sacking,” she added.