Violence: SUHAKAM statement denies Tiong Lai

SUHAKAM: Human rights clearly not a priority for UN Human Rights Council Member Malaysia


KUALA LUMPUR, July 13: Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has denied outright baseless statement, Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai, who denies violent acts in the police dispersed a peaceful rally on July 9 BERSIH 2.0.
Instead, the Suhakam itself also see the police use of excessive force against the participants, with 35 people when Suhakam officials were monitoring the rally.
Suhakam commissioner, Sha'ani Abdullah stressed, but he himself is also down to the gathering of monitoring also clearly see the police violence against the participants, including the location denied by Tiong Lai.
He said the statement from the Minister of Health who said police did not shoot tear gas and water cannon to Tung Shin Hospital, Jalan Pudu when disperse the rally was not true.
"In fact, the police are firing tear gas and water cannon to Tung Shin Hospital. I myself have seen the police action.
"I have also seen violent acts committed during the police arrest the participants. How do the police to address the participants of the rally is an irresponsible act, a violation, an abuse of power and it is contrary to human rights," he said.
He was speaking at a dialogue session after the submission of a memorandum by the PAS Youth Malaysia on the actions of the police use of excessive force against participants in peaceful assemblies BERSIH 2.0 Suhakam office here yesterday.
He said the police action to catch the players and put them in the police station Jinjang and Police Training Centre Kuala Lumpur (Pulapol) also, is a violation of the law.
"They (police) had planned to hold them, but they just arrest alone is not to be evidence.
"We can not accept such actions alleged in the developed countries, the police had persecuted them by force, the participants were arrested, handcuffed and then ordered up the truck with his hands behind," he said.
In this regard, he urged all victims to come forward and lodge complaints directly to the Suhakam can strengthen the evidence obtained.
On July 11, Minister of Health as reported in the media, said the police did not shoot tear gas and water cannon to disperse the Tung Shin Hospital at BERSIH 2.0 assembly on 9 July.
Claims that police fired to the hospital was not true and the matter has been confirmed by the hospital.
He said police fired tear gas toward the street and smoke may be carried by the wind towards the hospital.
"But they did not look towards the hospital," she told reporters after chairing a meeting with Tung Shin Hospital board of directors on that day (July 11), adding that police also fired water cannons take aim at the direction of 45 degrees from the main road.
Asked about the video and pictures uploaded by web users on the Internet, the minister asked the reporters not to show the material to ask him again.
"What is most important, the individual responsible to the hospital has confirmed that police were firing tear gas or water cannons into the (compound) hospital," said MCA deputy president again.
In the same press conference, the chairman of the board of directors of Tung Shin, Ng Beh Tong minister also shared his views.
He said the hospital administration had briefed the board of the hospital that morning (July 11) regarding the incident which happened on the day of the event.
During the rally, more than 1,600 participants, including the leadership of Combined Free and Fair Elections (BERSIH) and PR hold. All those arrested be released on police bail and the Attorney General will determine the action on them.
Besides Liow, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, as reported in the media, also denied the security forces acted violently during the rally.
 Comment on the matter further, Muhammad explained that the actual reality of the police action was excessive force can not be denied by any party.
In fact, he described the action taken by the police on participants of the gathering was like "people with no education."
"Parties are not educated, they wore uniforms, wear badges, but they have no right to recourse to violence against anyone.
"We want the government to ensure that institutions maintain the behavior of police officers to respect those they work with," he said.

Posted in: BERSIH