Can a person be arrested for holding a calendar depicting the photo of Burma's democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi? This was among questions posted by the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) today.

Receiving a delegation from the opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), commissioner N Siva Subramaniam said he was "greatly concerned" with the heavy-handed arrests of four Malaysian activists for attempting to hold a protest close to the venue of the 11th Asean summit earlier this month.

Also rounded up on the same day were 15 Burmese nationals, including a couple who were arrested in the Suria KLCC shopping mall - next to the venue of Asean summit - after the police found three copies of a calendar poster adorned with Suu Kyi's photo.

On Dec 14, a group of 30 police officers moved in even before the protestors - who were calling for Asean to address the issues of the recurring haze and the military dictatorship in Burma - could congregate in the KLCC park. Two cages of 60 pigeons belonging to the protestors were also confiscated.

Siva Subramaniam said the arrest of Burmese couple was not proper after receiving a memorandum on the arrests from the opposition party.

"But of course, we have to get the other side of the story too," he added.

"If what was said by the PKR is true, it will be a great concern to us. If some police officers have acted against normal conduct, action should be taken," he added. He also suggested the opposition party to lodge a police report on the matter.

The commissioner promised that the complaint will be brought to Suhakam's monthly meeting on Jan 9 next year and the commission will then ascertain whether there is a need to hold an inquiry into the complaint as proposed by PKR.

Undermine public confidence

PKR information chief Tian Chua, who was one of the four Malaysians arrested, said the unruly and excessive force used during the arrests had tarnished the image of the police force and undermined public confidence in national security.

Chua pointed out the police's action was a clear indication of their disrespect of the rights to peaceful assembly and it was ironic for the Malaysian police to have "shown their ignorance of fundamental norms of the democratic world during an important international event".

"Since the Kesas highway incident where Suhakam had recommended a set of guidelines on police conduct and peaceful assembly, the police have continuously refuse to recognise the rights of Malaysians to assemble," he said.

He asked Suhakam to step up pressure on the authorities to respect fundamental rights and urged Suhakam to negotiate with the police in order to secure the release of Burmese activists who are still being held in police custody.

All the detainees were released on police bail on Dec 14 apart from five Burmese refugees who did not have proper documentation. On top of the five, PKR also called for the release of 85 other Burmese who had been detained on separate occasions for peaceful protests.

Meanwhile, a handful of uniformed and plainclothes police officers were also present in the Suhakam building this morning, but no untoward incident took place.