Urgent appeal: Police intolerance to freedom of assembly

Urgent appeal: 01 August 2010

Police intolerance to freedom of assembly, 25 arrested at vigil to oppose ISA

The authority’s intolerance to peaceful assembly continued, when the police arrested 21 persons at Padang Timur, Petaling Jaya and 4 at Penang during a nationwide candle light vigil in conjunction with 50 years of ISA before the event started. Police had move into Amcorp Mall to arrest most of the peoples.

Those people arrested at Petaling Jaya are:

Syed Ibrahim – chairperson of GMI Suresh Kumar Mohd Fiqtriey Naqiuddin Sahar Albert Ang Yik Chuan Yew Hun Ng Bahrulhisham Enalini Elumalai Arulchevan Mien Lor Thilaga Sokiapillay

Tsuing Han See Kohila Y. Bawani K. Parames E. Sivaranjani Lee Wei Ni Ng Yap Hwa E. Sarawanen Xavier Sim Yoon Han Aiman Siew Teck Meng

Those peoples arrested at Penang are:

1. Choo Chon Kai
2. Kris Khaira
3. Darshan Singh
4. Ong Jing Cheng – Suaram Penang branch Coordinator

Beside the above, the Kelantan vigil’s coordinator Zaidi Musa and Hamidi Musa were hold by police for investigation after the vigil successful reach to the end.

SUARAM strongly condemns the police for their continued attacks on freedom of expression, a fundamental right which is guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Federal Constitution of Malaysia.

Released By,

Moon Hui

SUARAM Coordinator

Urgent action needed:

Please write protest letters to the government and the police to express your strongest condemnation of the arrests and the ongoing denial of rights of expression. Please also demand the Malaysian government to allow Malaysian citizen to practice their freedom of expression as stated in Federal Constitution.

Please call and send your protest letters to:

1. Ketua Polis Daerah Petaling Jaya

Ibupejabat Polis DaerahPetaling Jaya

Polis Diraja Malaysia

Petaling Jaya

Jalan Pencala

46050 Selangor

Tel: 03-79662222

Fax: 03-79548740

2. Ketua Polis Negeri Selangor

Ketua Polis Negeri Selangor

Ibu Pejabat Polis Kontinjen Selangor

Polis Diraja Malaysia

40000 Shah Alam, Selangor

Tel: 03-55145222

Fax: 03-55195175

3. Inspector-General of Police
Tan Sri Musa Hassan
Ibu Pejabat Polis Diraja Malaysia,
50560 Bukit Aman,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: +603 2262 6015
Fax: +603 2272 5613

SAMPLE LETTER

[Letterhead of your organisation]

Inspector-General of Police
Tan Sri Musa Hassan
Ibu Pejabat Polis Diraja Malaysia,
50560 Bukit Aman,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel: +603 2262 6015
Fax: +603 2272 5613

Dear Sir,

Re: Release the 25 persons arrested

We are writing to you to express our outrage and our strongest condemnation over the arrests of 25 individuals at Padang Timur and Penang just now (01 August 2010). They were arrested for attending to the nationwide candle light vigil in conjunction with 50 years of ISA. They had brought to the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters and Pulau Penang Jelutong police station.

We are appalled by the police's latest actions and view this as yet another attempt to intimidate Malaysian citizens from exercising their freedom to express their views.

We demand that the two to be released immediately and unconditionally. We further demand that the police force should stop the assault on freedom of expression and focus on fighting of crime.

We would like to remind you that freedom of expression is guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as the Federal Constitution of Malaysia.

Yours sincerely,

[Name]