Malaysian police break up opposition protest rally
Malaysian police break up opposition protest rally
KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Police backed by cannons spraying
chemical-laced water broke up a Malaysian opposition rally on
Sunday outside a prison camp where six activists are being held
without trial on government orders, opposition leaders said.
At least 35 people were arrested at the rally, and cars
emblazoned with stickers and flags of the opposition National
Justice Party were impounded at police checkpoints set up on the
narrow road leading to the camp, said Raja Petra Kamaruddin, a
senior official of the party, known as Keadilan.
Police could not be reached immediately to confirmed the
details.
A convoy of about 160 cars carrying opposition supporters
drove to the Kamunting camp north of Kuala Lumpur Sunday,
accompanying relatives of the detainees on a regularly-scheduled
visiting day.
Riot and regular police set up roadblocks, searched cars and
blocked the entrance to the camp, hampering efforts to start a
planned rally, Raja Petra said.
Eventually, about 500 opposition supporters managed to gather
near the camp entrance before being told to leave by police, said
Bahirah Tajul Ariff, whose husband Ezam Mohamad Noor is one of
the detainees.
"They gave us five minutes to disperse but they started
spraying us with water from the cannons straight away," Bahirah
told The Associated Press.
The six detainees are among 10 Keadilan leaders or activists
linked to it who were arrested in April under Malaysia's Internal
Security Act, which allows indefinite detention without trial.
Police say the group threatened national security by allegedly
holding meetings to organize violent demonstrations to oust Prime
Minister Mahathir Mohamad's government. Opposition leaders say
there is no evidence to back the claim and accuse Mahathir of a
heavy-handed crackdown.
Four of the 10 activists arrested in April have been released.
The government has ordered that the others be held for up to two
years, after which it will review the detention orders. The
detention orders allow for the activists to be released at any
time, and can be renewed at any time.
Kamunting, 250 kilometers north of Kuala Lumpur, has been used
to jail scores of political prisoners and religious sect leaders
over the years. Opposition leaders previously detained under the
security act have been released within 18 months.
Mahathir has ignored demands to abolish the law which was
introduced in the early 1960s to help quell a communist
insurgency which ended years ago.
The law has been condemned as draconian by local and
international human rights and legal groups.
Malaysia is to celebrate Mahathir's 20th anniversary in power
with the biggest dinner ever hosted in the country, organizers
said on Sunday.
They said more than 25,000 people from all over the southern
state of Malacca would attend Monday's dinner with the premier,
who completes 20 years in power on that day.
Amid Nordin, Speaker of the state assembly and the principal
organizer, said the previous Malaysian record for a dinner
attendance was 20,200.
"There will be 2,500 tables with 17 chefs catering to the
guests comprising representatives from non-governmental
organizations and sports organizations, government officers,
political leaders and members of the public," he told reporters.