Cops given ‘extra restraint’ orders for Bersih 3.0, Hanif panel told
File photo of the police exercising ‘extra restraint’ with protesters during the Bersih rally on April 28.
PUTRAJAYA,
June 18 — The police were ordered to exercise “extra restraint” with
protesters during Bersih 3.0, Putrajaya’s independent investigative
panel was told today.
But according to panel chairman, former Inspector-General of Police Tun
Hanif Omar, the police had also been ordered to disperse the crowd
should they breach the barricades surrounding Dataran Merdeka, which had
been blocked off to protesters via a court order.
Hanif told a press conference here that Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk
Mohmad Salleh, who had issued the orders, confirmed with the panel this
morning that his instructions had reached the over 8,000 police
personnel deployed for the April 28 event.
“He was quite certain that his orders had reached everyone because he
had (earlier) addressed them (police personnel) in Pulapol,” Hanif said.
Hanif said the police followed standard operating procedures.
He
said the order was given following the police’s standard operating
procedures, adding that the authorities had also learned from
experiences during Bersih 2.0 in July 9 last year.
“They (the police) got a bad image (after Bersih 2.0),” he pointed out.
Hanif explained that the “extra restraint” meant in the order was
illustrated by how the police had allowed Bersih 3.0 protesters to march
along the streets although assemblies in motion are prohibited under
the new Peaceful Assembly Act 2011.
He said that the police had also made known to the public of their
boundaries by erecting three layers of barricades in the 50m-radius
surrounding Dataran Merdeka, which had been cordoned off as a restricted
gathering point.
“So if you break through (the barricades), that means you absolutely want to break through,” he said.
Hanif also pointed out that the police had arranged for a line of their
uniformed but unarmed personnel to stand behind the barricades.
According to footage recorded prior to the breach at nearly 3pm,
policemen were seen smiling at the crowds.
“That is restraint... hoping that people would respect the court order,” he said.
“But of course, they have to protect an order of the court,” he added,
and agreed that the order to exercise “extra restraint” would no longer
be in effect once Dataran Merdeka was breached.
“Yeah… you can’t let the court order be in vain,” he pointed out.
Hanif stressed, however, that the police would still have to stick to
standard procedures even when dispersing the crowd, which meant that
sufficient warning must be given to protesters before action is taken.
“Like the SOPs of the riot unit. You must give warning... three
warnings. Disperse or I will disperse you with force — three times, 10
minutes between each warning,” he said.
But he added that “if the situation changes, then you do what needs to be done”.
When asked later if there were any orders allowing the police to push
back protesters even past the 50m zone outside Dataran Merdeka, Hanif
admitted that there is nothing in the police SOPs that allows this.
“But once an order to disperse is given, then of course you are not confined there anymore — you disperse,” he added.
The Hanif panel began its inquiry today by interviewing its first
witness, theSun’s special and investigative reporting editor R.
Nadeswaran, and two other journalists.
In the April 28 rally, violence and chaos reigned in the city’s streets
shortly after 3pm when protesters broke past the barricades of Dataran
Merdeka, triggering a four-hour cat-and-mouse game between the police
and rally participants amid a rain of tear gas canisters and
chemical-laced water.
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