FORUM-ASIA strongly condemns the high-handedness of the police who acted violently and aggressively to stop a peaceful protest against fuel and electricity price hikes at the famous Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur yesterday (28 May).
These acts were totally unnecessary and constitutes a gross violation of the right to peaceful assembly of the people as enshrined in Malaysia’s Federal Constitution and the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.
FORUM-ASIA strongly condemns the high-handedness of the police who acted violently and aggressively to stop a peaceful protest against fuel and electricity price hikes at the famous Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur yesterday (28 May).
These acts were totally unnecessary and constitutes a gross violation of the right to peaceful assembly of the people as enshrined in Malaysia’s Federal Constitution and the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.
It is unfortunate that this incident has come right after Malaysia had been recently appointed to the new Human Rights Council for a period of three years.
We would like to remind Malaysia that with this mandate, it is responsible for improving its domestic human rights record under the universal periodic review, while ensuring the effectiveness of the Council.
FORUM-ASIA urges Malaysia to implement the pledges that it has made through concrete actions. Although the pledges may not be legal instruments, they possess moral authority and governments are responsible in giving them effect.
According to news reports, the incident had resulted in the arrest of 20 protestors – 18 male and two female – with two persons seriously injured.
We are appalled to learn that after about 30 minutes of the gathering, the police started to use water cannons on the protestors. When protestors refused to budge, the police – the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) and plainclothes police – started to charge violently into the crowd. The first person to be arrested was the emcee of the protest.
During the chaos, many protestors were injured severely. One protestor was pushed by the police and fell down on the busy road and subsequently kicked and stepped on by police personnel who surrounded and arrested him.
We support the calls of civil society in Malaysia, especially the ones made by SUARAM, our member organisation in Malaysia, for the immediate establishment of the Independent Police Complaint and Misconduct Commission to hold police officers accountable for their corrupt and violent acts, ending total impunity immediately.
Anselmo Lee
Executive Director
