DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang said the dream of Bersih 3.0 being a successful international event was destroyed by overzealous police actions and subsequent violence that erupted.

"The thought and hope that Bersih 3.0 will be an international badge of honour of a maturing Malaysian democracy proved ephemeral as it was pulverised (by) the disproportionate and indiscriminate firing of police tear gas," said Lim in a statement yesterday.

NONELim, who was among those who marked towards Dataran Merdeka yesterday, said the breach of a police cordon around the field cannot justify the reprisal.

He said unjustifiable acts includes the mass arrests and attacks on peaceful protestors, including those attempting to disperse, as well as the police attacks on journalists.

For this reason, Lim said the DAP called on the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) to hold a public inquiry into the "disproportionate and indiscriminate" police actions during the rally.

Had it not been for the violence, Lim said Bersih 3.0 would otherwise been a successful multi-racial peaceful assembly.

Many injured

A total of 512 protestors were nabbed during the rally, with many sporting injuries.

Sixty-three protestors and two police officers received treatment at Hospital Kuala Lumpur in the wake of the rally.

The Bersih 3.0 rally was meant to be a sit-in at Dataran Merdeka to put pressure on the government to fulfil its promise of electoral reforms.

However, the government was adamant that the movement must not use the iconic field and cordoned it with barb wire.

Some 100,000 protestors flanked the north and east perimeter of the field during the protest that was peaceful throughout, until a few of the barricades were breached.