By Brianne Yantz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – More than 1,400 protestors were arrested this past Saturday during a rally for electoral reforms. According to the Malaysian Insider, an estimated 50,000 people gathered in the streets of the capital city to take part in the ‘illegal’ protest. Yet many doubt the accuracy of that approximation; BBC News reported that the number of protestors was actually closer to 10,000. Nevertheless, many rally organizers believe the campaign was a success.
- Police handcuffing protestors at the election reform rally in Kuala Lumpur. (Photo Courtesy of CNN).
The event was organized by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, also known as Bersih 2.0, which means “clean” in Malay. It is compromised of 62 nongovernmental organizations.
Despite tensions between Bersih 2.0 and the Malaysian government, the New York Times reported that Prime Minister Najib Razak stated the rally could take place if it was held in a stadium rather than on the streets. Coalition organizers agreed to those terms after meeting with the Malaysian king, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, on Tuesday.
However, authorities then said that Bersih could not proceed without a police permit. Under Malaysian law, the government will not grant permits to organizations which have been declared illegal. One week before the rally, the government declared Bersih illegal for failure to register and for purporting to cause public disorder.
Angered by the government’s actions, Bersih announced that the rally would go forward. As a result, police arrested over 200 activists in the days leading up to the protest. Furthermore, a court order barred 91 demonstrators, including various opposition leaders, from entering the capital on Saturday and roadblocks were set up to prevent protestors from accessing the stadium where the rally was set to take place.
Although the city was on a 24-hour lockdown, thousands of protesters managed to slip through the security net early Saturday afternoon. As the crowds began marching down the streets towards the stadium, riot police began volleying tear gas into the masses. Those gathered around the city’s main bus station were hosed down by water cannons.
Ultimately, Bersih organizers were unable to hand over a memorandum that calls for the creation of a royal commission to look into electoral reform. Still, the rally was deemed a success.
The Malaysian Insider reported that one Bersih leader and national laureate, Datuk A. Samad, stated, “I have never seen all the races in Malaysia so united for one cause before.”
In 2007, a similar attempt was made to hold a rally for clean elections. BBC News reported that as a result, supporters of electoral reform had “won an unprecedented number of seats in the last general election.”
For more information, please see:
BBC News – Malaysia: Police fire tear gas at banned rally – July 9, 2011
CNN – Mass arrests as Malaysia police and protesters clash – July 9, 2011
The Malaysia Insider – Bersih says 50,000 protested, declares rally ‘great success’– July 9, 2011
NY Times – Hundreds of Protesters Held in Malaysia – July 9, 2011
Sydney Morning Herald – Malaysia police arrest 1400 protesters – July 9, 2011
NY Times – Malaysian Opposition Digs In – July 7, 2011
