'Selective prosecution' of Turun trio
Published: Jan 28, 2014 4:42 PM | Updated: Jan 28, 2014 8:03 PM
Suaram has criticised the upcoming prosecution of three organisers of the anti-price hike protest on New Year's Eve, saying this infringes on freedom of assembly.
UPDATED 5.54PM
Suaram criticises action against protest organisers.
Suaram has criticised the upcoming prosecution of three organisers of the anti-price hike protest on New Year's Eve, saying this infringes on freedom of assembly.
Solidariti Anak Mud
a Malaysia (SAMM) leaders Badrul Hisham Shaharin (left) and Edy Noor Reduan and Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia chairperson Muhd Bukhairy Sofian are scheduled to be charged in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court tomorrow.
They are expected to face charges under Section 9(1) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 (PAA), for allegedly organising the assembly and failing to notify the police 10 days ahead of the event.
In a statement, Suaram coordinator R Thevarajan said public assemblies should be allowed so long as these are conducted in a peaceful manner.
“The Turun protest against drastic price hikes and the rising cost of living was a peaceful public assembly without any untoward incidents. Why is there a need for the police to charge the organisers?” he asked.
He said the police action against human rights defenders contravenes Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees the right to assemble peacefully and Article 10 of the federal constitution.
Thevarajan said this clearly shows that the PAA contradicts the UN human rights instruments.
“The 10-day notification period is just another procedural tool to control an assembly and (it is) used against organisers whenever it suits the interests of the powers-that-be, and to silence criticism of the government.
“In the case of the Turun protest, it is plain that the government wants to silence all criticism of (its) economic policies, which are the root cause of the rise in costs and the suffering of the people.”
He described the trio as the latest victims of “selective prosecution” of activists and opposition supporters for protesting against government policies.
The PAA should be amended to bring it in line with international human rights standards because the failure to notify the authorities should not be deemed a criminal offence, he added.
SAMM, in a separate statement, said 10 police personnel had gone to Badrul Hisham’s house in Bukit Chedang and to Edy Noor's house in Setia Alam to serve the court summons on them.
Solidariti Anak Mud
a Malaysia (SAMM) leaders Badrul Hisham Shaharin (left) and Edy Noor Reduan and Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia chairperson Muhd Bukhairy Sofian are scheduled to be charged in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court tomorrow.They are expected to face charges under Section 9(1) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 (PAA), for allegedly organising the assembly and failing to notify the police 10 days ahead of the event.
In a statement, Suaram coordinator R Thevarajan said public assemblies should be allowed so long as these are conducted in a peaceful manner.
“The Turun protest against drastic price hikes and the rising cost of living was a peaceful public assembly without any untoward incidents. Why is there a need for the police to charge the organisers?” he asked.
He said the police action against human rights defenders contravenes Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees the right to assemble peacefully and Article 10 of the federal constitution.
Thevarajan said this clearly shows that the PAA contradicts the UN human rights instruments.
“The 10-day notification period is just another procedural tool to control an assembly and (it is) used against organisers whenever it suits the interests of the powers-that-be, and to silence criticism of the government.“In the case of the Turun protest, it is plain that the government wants to silence all criticism of (its) economic policies, which are the root cause of the rise in costs and the suffering of the people.”
He described the trio as the latest victims of “selective prosecution” of activists and opposition supporters for protesting against government policies.
The PAA should be amended to bring it in line with international human rights standards because the failure to notify the authorities should not be deemed a criminal offence, he added.
SAMM, in a separate statement, said 10 police personnel had gone to Badrul Hisham’s house in Bukit Chedang and to Edy Noor's house in Setia Alam to serve the court summons on them.
Persatuan Mahasiswa Universiti Malaya secretary-general, Fahmi Zainol, in another statement, said the charge Bukhairy will face tomorrow only shows the Malaysian government is trying to scare the people and divert the people from the actual issues.
Fahmi said the protest is a movement by the people as a result of the high living costs which affects fishermen, labourer, farmers, and university students.
"The hike in petrol prices also results in grocery prices increasing," he said, while also urging university students to turn up in support of Bukhairy.
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