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.