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Suhakam: Respect right to assembly

By Tan Sri Simon Sipaun

August 3, 2009

THE Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) regrets to note that in the process of dispersing the 15,000-strong crowd marching in protest of the Internal Security Act (ISA) in Kuala Lumpur on 1 Aug 2009, the police used tear gas and water [cannons] excessively, which also affected bystanders.

The day of the public assembly ended with the police reportedly arresting [nearly] 600 people and 44 juveniles aged between 13 and 17 years old at different locations in the city.

In this regard, Suhakam strongly maintains its stand that the people have the right to participate in peaceful assemblies. Suhakam has consistently urged the government to consider and take into account the recommendations made by the commission on freedom of assembly, as enunciated in the reports of the Kesas Highway and KLCC Bloody Sunday Public Inquiries.

It is therefore recommended that in the event where police find it necessary to control or disperse a crowd, proportionate and non-violent methods should be invoked.

Running from tear gas (Pic by Gan Pei Ling)

In addition, it is also Suhakam’s grave concern that the children who were arrested during the rally were handcuffed, detained and held under remand together with the rest of the adult protesters.

Suhakam would like to draw the government’s attention to its obligations to observe and protect the rights of children as stipulated under the Child Act 2001 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Consequently, in view of the situation that took place last weekend, Suhakam urges the government to seriously consider Suhakam’s recommendation made since 2003 to repeal the ISA due to its nature of detention without trial, which is clearly an infringement of the principles of human rights.

Suhakam would like to reiterate its stance that the ISA should be repealed and replaced by a new comprehensive legislation that balances national security and human rights, [such as] a specific Anti-Terrorism Act to deal with anti-terrorism and mass acts of violence.

Tan Sri Simon Sipaun
Vice-Chairperson
Suhakam

3 Aug 2009

Filed Under: Letters to the Editor Tagged With: 1 Aug 2009, anti-ISA rally, Child Act, letter to the editor, police, right to assembly, Suhakam, Tan Sri Simon Sipaun, tear gas, water cannons

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Main says

    August 3, 2009 at 10:33 pm

    Not ‘Assemblies’ but ‘Demonstrations’ and it disturbs people.

  2. Kamal says

    August 5, 2009 at 2:19 pm

    During the yearly mega-sale, got a lot of people all “demonstrating” (their puchasing power), got disturb people?

    We should accept the conventions we are signatory to (as Suhakam reminds us) and recognize as a democracy, peaceful assembly is an acceptable practice of exercising public participation. Democracy is not simply putting your vote in the ballot box.

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