National Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) said that an assembly should be deemed peaceful if its organisers and participants have peaceful intentions as suggested by good practice.

Suhakam took to Twitter saying that the police should separate violent individuals from the rallies.

"Authorities must be encouraged to isolate violent individuals rather than collectively punishing protestors and dispersing the assembly," it said.

This come after inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar classified both Bersih 5 and red-shirt rally as illegal assemblies and said both rallies should be stopped.

Former Bersih chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan said existing legal provisions can be applied to prevent the Bersih rally and the red-shirts counter-rally to occur simultaneously.

The top cop, however questioned why those who do not abide by the law are requesting for protection.

Suhakam, who said it will monitor the planned rallies, reminded the authorities to exercise restraint when responding to protesters and to comply with the law.

"The right to peaceful assembly is a constitutional right, and may only be limited under prescribed circumstances," said the commission.

The public must respect that the police, who have a role and responsibility in maintaining and preserving the security, peace and order of the country, according to Suhakam.

"Demonstrators must refrain from causing damage to property during public assemblies," it said, calling the organisers to fully coorperate with the cops to ensure participants comply with the law.

The organisers should discuss and agree on security and public safety measures that will be put in place prior to and during, it said.

"Suhakam is confident that public assemblies can be conducted in a peaceful manner if guidelines are adhered to in good faith by all," it added.

Bersih will be gathering near Dataran Merdeka tomorrow to demand clean elections, clean government, the right to dissent, the strengthening of Parliament and empowerment of Sabah and Sarawak.

In recent weeks, Sungai Besar Umno division chief Jamal Md Yunos and his red-shirts have been hounding Bersih supporters throughout the country, often involving one-sided physical violence and repeated threats of violence.

Meanwhile, Mohd Haniff Khatri Abdulla, lawyer to former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, said Bersih could cite Khalid for contempt of court if he refuses to provide an alternative for the red group to conduct its rally at another time, date or place.

He argued that the Kuala Lumpur High Court, which dismissed the application of three groups from stopping both rallies yesterday, had indeed declared both rallies as legal assemblies.

"Thus, it is the cops' responsibility to prevent the red-shirt group from disrupting the Bersih 5 peaceful assembly by providing an alternative venue to the red-shirt group," he said in Facebook posting.

"If the police ignore, then Bersih 5 can take action against Khalid as IGP and any other parties, including Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who insisted to order the authorities to go against the court order," he said.

In his ruling, Justice Nantha Balan, also cited Section 18 of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, where authority is given to the police to divert any rival group to an alternative place, or venue or time or day.