- AP Photo/Vincent Thian
VIVAnews - Tens of thousands of Malaysian protesters called for free and fair elections on the streets of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on last Saturday, July 9. The government however reacted with heavy-handedness when dealing with the mass protest, arresting around 1,700 people and injured many as teargas and watercannon were fired.
Provided the incident, the United Nations human rights office voiced concern about the use of excessive force against protesters.
"We are very concerned by the recent crackdown and peaceful demonstrators by the government in Malaysia, and particularly disappointed to see the apparent use of excessive force by the police against so many peaceful demonstrators in an established democracy like Malaysia," said Rupert Colville, a spokesperson for the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCR), as quoted from the UN webpage, July 12.
“While the police have said that all the detained demonstrators have been released, we remain concerned about retaliation against these individuals, as well as against those who were arrested in the lead up to the demonstration, some of whom are reportedly still in detention,” said Mr. Colville. “These individuals should not be punished for exercising their fundamental human rights.”
In the mean time, a report, which was denied by the police, said a hospital where protesters had taken refuge was attacked by security forces, The Guardian writes on July 13.
Shocked by the action practiced by police and federal reserve unit special forces, Bersih 2.0 wants royal commission of inquiry and vowed to continue its reform campaign.
On the other hand, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was not likely affected by the international responses saying, "Don't doubt our strength. If we want to create chaos, we can. Umno has 3 million members. If we gather 1 million members, it is more than enough. We can conquer Kuala Lumpur," as quoted from The Guardian.
His statement was quite the contrary to the promise he made in 2009 upon his being elected PM. At that time, he said he would bridge Malaysia's political, ethnic and religious divisions.
Cegah Informasi Simpang Siur, Jemaah Haji Diimbau Tak Bagikan Kabar Tidak Benar di Media Sosial
Menurut Direktur Bina Haji PHU Arsad Hidayat, jemaah haji diminta tidak asal membagikan informasi yang beredar di media sosial yang belum jelas kebenarannya.
