The authorities have stepped up the intimidation against those intending to participate in assemblies or demonstrations by showcasing the kind of treatment that would be meted out to those violating the ban on 'illegal' rallies.
Among the banners held up during a simulation exercise between the Royal Malay Regiment and Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) on crowd control held yesterday were two conspicuous ones that warned shots would be fired if a dispersal order was not heeded.Bersurailah kamu kalau tidak kami tembak ('Disperse. If not, we shoot') read the banners held by some of the 120 members of the Royal Malay Regiment's the 25th battalion during the joint-demonstration with 120 members of the FRU.
The PDRM's Army Unit and Air Wing also took part in the joint public order demonstration at the Sungai Besi camp.
Below the words written in Malay was a transliteration of the same phrase into the 'Jawi' script, and two lines of translations into Tamil and Chinese.
PDRM are ready to cooperate with the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) in controlling the participants of the illegal rally scheduled for Saturday, Bukit Aman internal security and public order director Salleh Mat Rashid was reported as saying on Tuesday.The ATM's assistance would only be sought if necessary, he added.
"We'll see how it goes. If necessary, we will seek ATM's help to maintain public order," he told reporters.
Salleh denied, however that the joint demonstration exercise had anything to do with the rally planned by the Bersih 2.0 coalition for free and fair elections.
"We are holding this merely to celebrate and show our (PDRM and ATM) appreciation for the Prime Minister Innovation Award 2011, which we received recently," Salleh added.
After weeks of heightened tensions between Bersih and its detractors from Umno, Umno Youth and Perkasa - which saw almost 200 people being arrested for publicly displaying support for the rally planned for this Saturday which the government described was 'illegal' - it was announced yesterday that Bersih had agreed to holding its gathering at a stadium instead on the streets of Kuala Lumpur.The decision followed a meeting between Bersih leaders with the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Mizan Zainal Abidin, during which the coalition's petition of demands were submitted to the King.
Bersih chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan today announced the coalition had chosen Stadium Merdeka as the venue for the rally. The application was, however, rejected by the stadium authorities today.
The decision not to hold the demonstration in the streets has not reduced, moreover, the crackdown on Bersih supporters, however, with two PKR activists in Negeri Sembilan being arrested yesterday for possession of paraphernalia related to the rally.
Last night, a legal briefing for a group of Subang PAS and PKR members was thwarted when police cordoned off a hall in Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya.
According to lawyer Farhana Abdul Halim, the Subang PKR division had invited her group - Lawyers for Liberty - to conduct a briefing on the rights of citizens upon arrest.
She said that about 50 police personnel had stopped party members from entering the premises on the basis that a permit was required to hold the event. - Malaysiakini
No comments:
Post a Comment