Anwar supporters to gather despite police ban
Anwar supporters to gather despite police ban
KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Malaysian opposition groups said on Friday they would go ahead with Saturday's gathering in support of jailed ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim despite a police ban and fears of violence.
Police in Kuala Lumpur on Friday warned they will take tough action to prevent a planned street gathering on Saturday, which marks the second anniversary of the jailing of Anwar.
The warning came after seven reformasi (reform) activists, who were mostly from Anwar's opposition National Justice Party, were arrested on Wednesday for investigation into an alleged plot by "militants" to stage violent street protests to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Meor Chek Hussein said the group could present the memorandum, but warned against "thousands" of supporters turning up for the event.
Malaysia's police chief Norian Mai said on Wednesday that investigation showed the "reformasi" movement was using the event as a cover to stage a 50,000-strong street protest, which is illegal.
Keadilan and "reformasi" websites have for weeks urged the public to turn up outside the National Human Rights Commission's (Suhakam's) office in Kuala Lumpur on April 14, which is dubbed "Black 14" by Anwar's supporters as he was jailed for six years on that date two years ago for corruption.
Anwar's wife Azizah Ismail said she would lead a delegation of about 20 members of parliament and opposition leaders to submit a memorandum on rights abuses including her husband's plight to Suhakam.
Azizah, who heads the National Justice Party (Keadilan), said they were undeterred by this week's arrest of seven activists under the tough Internal Security Act (ISA), which allows indefinite detention without trial.
"It is a peaceful gathering to hand in the memorandum and Suhakam has already agreed to accept it. It will go on," she told AFP.
Suhakam chairman Musa Hitam expressed fears of a possible "violent confrontation."
Musa urged organizers not to turn the handover of the memorandum "into an illegal assembly."
He called on people accompanying the delegation to disperse peacefully immediately afterwards and asked police to exercise restraint.
Anwar says he was framed because he was seen as a political threat to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who denies interfering in the judicial process.
Sanusi Abdullah, a Keadilan youth executive committee member, said he expected some 5,000 people at the Suhakam office in the city center. He said some 15 committee members including himself are on the run from police to avoid arrest.
"We have some information that the committee members would be arrested today to prevent the gathering from taking place. We are all hiding from police but we will be there tomorrow," he told AFP.
Azizah, in a later statement, urged supporters to stay peaceful and beware attempts by "undesirable elements" to create any troubles which could be blamed on the opposition.
She said the presentation of the memo would be witnessed by "a peaceful gathering of supporters of the struggle for social justice and democracy."
Mahathir said on Friday police had evidence that activists planned a violent protest including the use of explosives.
Kuala Lumpur police have strengthened security in the city and are "prepared to use force against the demonstrators if necessary," senior official Bakri Zinin was quoted by The Sun newspaper as saying.
The U.S. embassy advised Americans to avoid areas in the city center where rallies are planned.
In another development, A Malaysian political group on Friday urged the country's human rights commission to investigate the case of four people whom it said have been detained without trial for more than two years after being cleared by a court.
Malaysia's widespread use of laws allowing detention without trial has come under the spotlight following this week's separate detention of seven opposition activists.
The Parti Reformasi Insan Malaysia (PRIM) said it condemned the arrests of the supporters of jailed Anwar under the Internal Security Act (ISA) on suspicion of planning violent protests to topple the government.