Human rights organisation Suaram has accused the police of turning Kuala Lumpur into a police state and for violating the rights of peaceful demonstrators.

"We have information and evidence of violations of human rights which took place in the streets of Kuala Lumpur today," said Suaram coordinator S. Arutchelven.

He called on the newly formed Human Rights Commission to immediately investigate all allegations of rights abuse.

Arutchelven was responding to the heavy-handed dispersal of hundreds of "Black 14" protesters in the city this afternoon. The protesters were there to mark the first anniversary of the sentencing of sacked deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.

According to the police, 46 individuals have been arrested for various offences. They are currently being held at the police training centre at Jalan Gurney.

"The police seem to be very irritated with the word 'reformasi' because each time it is shouted, they react violently," Arutchelven said.

"The police are the ones creating chaos, shooting tear-gas and water cannon against peaceful protesters. A lot of onlookers were also reportedly hurt due to the harsh and irrational action by the police."

He added that he has received information that a water cannon laced with debilitating chemicals has been sprayed on a crowd waiting at a commuter station.

A day of silence?

Meanwhile, Aliran has questioned why the Human Rights Commission did not take any action to prevent the high-handed action of the police, including the use of police helicopters and personnel with automatic rifles.

"Why are they observing a day of silence? It should be able to say whether Malaysians have a democratic right to assemble peacefully."

Aliran said that the commission should have used the opportunity to convince sceptics of its independence. "Through its silence, the commission has condemned itself."

Show proof of riot intention

The Barisan Alternatif has demanded that the government provide proof that the organisers of "Black 14" planned a riot. It accused the government of building a "monstrous lie" in order to defend its "harsh and punitive action" against the organisers of the peaceful assembly.

"If the authorities have incontrovertible evidence to show that riots were being planned, they should place the evidence before the Malaysian public," said the leaders of PAS, KeADILan, DAP and PRM in a joint statement today.

"If [the government] does not dare to establish an independent Commission of Inquiry, it can ask the government appointed Human Rights Commission to conduct an investigation," they added.

Condemning the heavy handed tactics used by the police, including usinging extensive roadblocks and delaying trains for up to an hour, they accused the police of "mounting a massive operation to prevent the people from exercising their basic democratic rights."

"No democratic society anywhere in the world would deny its citizens their right to express their grievances. By curbing this right, the Mahathir government has revealed its true character... an authoritarian regime which attempts to camouflage its repression with a veneer of democratic forms."