Lawyers Arrested for Human Rights March

Human rights march: 5 lawyers arrested

The police have arrested eight people, including five lawyers, for proceeding with a march to mark International Human Rights Day from the Sogo department store to Central Market in Kuala Lumpur early this morning.

The arrests came after a failed attempt by the organisers of the march to negotiate with the police to allow them to finish their march at their intended spot.

The 100-odd crowd was already halfway to their destination when the police give the marchers a 10-minute warning to disperse. The organisers, who believed that they could complete their march within the time limit, wanted to press on. According to an eyewitness, the police however cordoned off the area, moved in and made the arrests even before the stipulated deadline expired.

Those arrested included five lawyers - N Surendran (photo), Latheefa Koya, R Sivarasa, Eric Paulsen and Amer Hamzah. Others were Anthony Andu, Norazah Othman and an unidentified activist.

They were arrested near the Jalan Tun Perak LRT station and were immediately taken to the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters.

The eight were arrested under the Police Act for illegal assembly, said Dang Wangi's acting Superintendent Che Hamzah Che Ismail.

The remainder of the marchers dispersed following the arrests. More...

In an related event, Malaysiakini reported the Bar Council chief of rights committee Edmun Bon was arrested too! According to an eyewitness who said that Edmun was arrested today at 12.45pm for blocking Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) officials from removing human rights banners outside the Malaysian Bar building in Leboh Pasar Besar in Kuala Lumpur. Hmm..

"Authorities seem to be upset by any visible signs of protest and I think this is a problem with the country," said Sivarasa, who is also a leader of PKR.

"They don't seem to be able to deal with peaceful dissent," he told AFP before he was arrested.

Why is the fuss by arresting all these people? Come on la.. today is Human Rights Day and some concern professionals and crowd of odd 100 people walks peacefully in K.L! So what..? Let it be! They can't even walk and peacefully celebrate Human Rigths Day is it? What crime is there done by those people and for them to be arrested? Mr. Prime Minister of Malaysia are you listening to the cry of Malaysian citizens right now or just .... zzZZ!

ciao!