KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 — The Bar Council today condemned the heavy handed tactics taken by the police against the participants of the Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas or Oppressed People Network (Jerit) "Ride for Change" campaign.
It also pledged to defend for free any one of the cyclists who may be charged in court.
Ragunath Kesavan, vice president of the Malaysian Bar, said the cyclists and those accompanying them had to endure frequent roadblocks, unnecessary questioning and arrests as they journeyed to Kuala Lumpur. The participants also had their bikes torched by unknown culprits and there was also a reported stone-throwing incident.
"What was done by the participants of Jerit is a democratic process, a peaceful process, a process which does not break any laws.
"Even though certain quarters are not comfortable with what is written in their fliers, but for the Bar council it is a freedom of expression which is stated in the Federal Constitution and must be allowed," he said.
The demands of Jerit as stated in the fliers distributed during the campaign calls for the abolition of the Internal Security Act (ISA), minimum wage for workers, affordable housing for the poor, the halt to the privatisation of basic amenities, the need for price controls and local council elections.
Andrew Khoo, the Co-Deputy Chair of the Malaysia Bar Human Rights Committee said: "What issues among these six that have not been articulated by civil society and have not been discussed by the public at large?
"There is nothing new that the cyclists are doing. There is nothing threatening that the cyclists are doing. The fact that children are involved, in my view, is a good thing."
Ragunath added that it was the duty of the police to actually protect the rights of the Jerit cyclists.
"To anybody who was involved in the campaign and got charged in court, the Bar Council will protect their rights for free of charge. We hope the police will be more sensitive towards the needs of the people for the democratic process in Malaysia."
Ragunath said that the intimidation and persecution against the campaign was ridiculous. The intimidation tactics include the threat of the use of the Child Act, Police Act and the Printing and Publication Act against the cyclists, he said.
Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani
The Malaysian Insider
18/12/08
It also pledged to defend for free any one of the cyclists who may be charged in court.
Ragunath Kesavan, vice president of the Malaysian Bar, said the cyclists and those accompanying them had to endure frequent roadblocks, unnecessary questioning and arrests as they journeyed to Kuala Lumpur. The participants also had their bikes torched by unknown culprits and there was also a reported stone-throwing incident.
"What was done by the participants of Jerit is a democratic process, a peaceful process, a process which does not break any laws.
"Even though certain quarters are not comfortable with what is written in their fliers, but for the Bar council it is a freedom of expression which is stated in the Federal Constitution and must be allowed," he said.
The demands of Jerit as stated in the fliers distributed during the campaign calls for the abolition of the Internal Security Act (ISA), minimum wage for workers, affordable housing for the poor, the halt to the privatisation of basic amenities, the need for price controls and local council elections.
Andrew Khoo, the Co-Deputy Chair of the Malaysia Bar Human Rights Committee said: "What issues among these six that have not been articulated by civil society and have not been discussed by the public at large?
"There is nothing new that the cyclists are doing. There is nothing threatening that the cyclists are doing. The fact that children are involved, in my view, is a good thing."
Ragunath added that it was the duty of the police to actually protect the rights of the Jerit cyclists.
"To anybody who was involved in the campaign and got charged in court, the Bar Council will protect their rights for free of charge. We hope the police will be more sensitive towards the needs of the people for the democratic process in Malaysia."
Ragunath said that the intimidation and persecution against the campaign was ridiculous. The intimidation tactics include the threat of the use of the Child Act, Police Act and the Printing and Publication Act against the cyclists, he said.
Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani
The Malaysian Insider
18/12/08
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