Human rights group Suaram has condemned in the strongest possible terms the brutal police suppression of the peaceful Bersih 2.0 rally for clean and fair elections on July 9.

    

In a statement to the media today, the group zeroed in on heavy handed police tactics when confronting Bersih 2.0 supporters in major transportation hub KL Sentral.

    

NONE “In KL Sentral railway station, police not only confined a peaceful crowd in the underpass, but also proceeded to fire numerous rounds of teargas canisters angled directly at them.”

“Teargas canisters can be harmful if fired directly at people and used in confined spaces,” stressed the group.

The incident injured several Bersih 2.0 leaders and supporters including Shah Alam parliamentarian Khalid Samad who suffered six stitches to the head and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s bodyguard Fayyadh Afiq, who was hit when he got between his boss and an incoming tear gas canister.

NONE Dozens of others emerged from the underpass choking on the cloud of teargas. Critics have criticised police for directly firing the canisters at the crowd rather than in an arc as in accepted procedure.

One thousand six hundred and ninety seven were arrested by police on that day for alleged involvement in an illegal assembly.    

In a related incident, PAS deputy president Mohamed Sabu was injured while en route to Masjid Negara when a police Land Rover allegedly rammed into the motorbike he was riding.

In the same statement Suaram listed its stand and demands to the police and government  over the matter:

  • Applauds the tens of thousands of ordinary Malaysian who gathered in Kuala Lumpur on July 9 to fight for their rights and fundamental liberties,
  • Call upon the people of Malaysia to demand transparency and accountability in governance.
  • The inspector-general of police to own up to and take responsibility for the acts of violence of his men in suppressing the peaceful rally.
  • The unconditional and immediate release of everyone still detained for all Bersih2.0 or related ‘offences’.
  • The National Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) to initiate an immediate enquiry into the reports of police brutality and violence.