The United Nations Human Rights Office of South-East Asia has urged the Malaysian government to respect internationally recognised right to freedom of assembly that it has ratified.

“We urge the government to abide by its international human rights obligations to protect the rights of all Malaysians to gather peacefully and to express their opinion,” said its acting regional representative Laurent Meillan in a statement.

This comes after media reports of organisers of the Bersih 5 rally having been subjected to threats and harassment, which the UN human rights office hope would not go unpunished.

“Additionally, authorities should immediately investigate these acts of intimidation, and bring those responsible to justice,” said Meillan further.

The UN Human Rights Office representative also quoted reports of Bersih leader Maria Chin Abdullah and members of her family have received death threats from unknown individuals.

The statement also quoted reports on threats against the persons and vandalism against properties against other civil society leaders.

The UN office also noted that there were also what seems to be official harassment against Bersih, specifically how Bersih chief Maria Chin was detained on suspicion of violating Section 11 of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, while distributing Bersih fliers in October.

Section 11 requires every publication printed or published within Malaysia to bear the name and address of the printer and publisher. Maria however, was later released.

Maria, her family as well as other Bersih members has been subjected to threats and harassment by pro-government groups as well as what some claim is harassment by authorities.

This as Bersih continue to plan to hold the Bersih 5 rally on Nov 19.

Malaysia once sat on the UN Human Rights body, and has ratified provisions in the international charter for human rights, including the right to freedom of assembly.