Enough of BN - time for an alternative government

Let's us not forget that the primary goal is to end the rule of the Barisan Nasional in Malaysia - it is time for us to have an alternative government formed by the Opposition political parties...

Let's us also be clear that many Malaysians only take the position of being pro-BN or anti-BN....

One argument against ending the BN rule was that our Malaysian Opposition parties just did not have the capacity to govern...to rule... only to be Opposition..BUT now after 2008, we have clear proof that the Opposition parties have the capacity to rule and govern effectively States like Penang, Kedah, Selangor... (despite attempts of 'sabotage' by the BN Federal in the form of money flow, etc ... to States, etc). Kelantan has long been effectively governed by the Opposition but many considered it as 'insufficient' proof of the capacity to govern. Today - it has been proven.

Do we have to worry about who will be the 'new' Prime Minister now if and when Barisan Nasional is defeated - I think not. Should Anwar be the Prime Minister? Should it be Hadi? Should it be Kit Siang? Should it be N Surendran? Again, I say it is not the time to think of such things.... Let Barisan Nasional be defeated first - and then we will decide on who will the PM. (Remember also that a 'bad' PM can at any time be removed - i.e. the moment he loses the confidence of the majority of MPs....)

* Personally, I believe that even when the Opposition wins, maybe it be best that their existing leadership, be it Anwar, Hadi or Kit Siang or others not be the new Prime Minister - I am sure that there will be other more acceptable choices...Remember, what we want is the promised reforms - so hopefully the Opposition parties or personalities understand this and it is not about who gets to be PM?

Malaysian Bar: Government’s respect for the constitutional right of freedom of assembly is welcomed

Press Release: Government’s respect for the constitutional right of freedom of assembly is welcomed

Friday, 06 January 2012 04:29pm

The Malaysian Bar welcomes the recent announcement, by the Minister of Home Affairs and the Inspector General of Police, that the Government will allow and facilitate the proposed assembly on 9 January 2012 in connection with the decision of the trial for sodomy of Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Today’s statement by the Kuala Lumpur police chief that the proposed gathering can be held at the car park of the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex is also commendable.   This approach reflects a positive change in the mindset of the Government, and is an outlook that the Malaysian Bar hopes will continue and be expanded further.  It is crucial that the Government learns from its past mistakes in responding to public assemblies, and clearly acknowledges that the rakyat’s desire to exercise the fundamental freedom of assembly guaranteed under the Federal Constitution must be recognised and respected. The announcements reflect a correct understanding of the law – that protesting against a court decision, in itself, is not wrong, nor tantamount to contempt of court.  Subject to a restriction described below, assembling in anticipation of a court decision is also not wrong.  In other words, the courts themselves do not prohibit expression of discontent or objection against their decisions. As Lord Atkin so eloquently said in Ambard v Attorney-General for Trinidad and Tobago [1936] AC 322, at page 355: … whether the authority and position of an individual judge, or the due administration of justice, is concerned, no wrong is committed by any member of the public who exercises the ordinary right of criticising, in good faith, in private or public, the public act done in the seat of justice.  The path of criticism is a public way: the wrong headed are permitted  to err therein: provided that members of the public abstain from imputing improper motives to those taking part in the administration of justice, and are genuinely exercising a right of criticism, and not acting in malice or attempting to impair the administration of justice, they are immune.  Justice is not a cloistered virtue: she must be allowed to suffer the scrutiny and respectful, even though outspoken, comments of ordinary men. Hence, where criticism against a court decision is malicious, ascribes improper motive or impairs the administration of justice, then it may amount to contempt of court for scandalising the court. However, courts these days rarely, if ever, wield their powers in this manner, for the simple reason that they recognise the need for freedom of expression and that upholding such freedom serves the greater good. In respect of the argument that a rally may constitute undue and illegal pressure on the Judiciary, professional judges – who decide on law and facts, as opposed to a jury system – must not be influenced by any external pressure, whether by way of demonstration, executive influence or criticism, when discharging their judicial duty.  The Malaysian Bar is confident that our Judiciary will remain steadfast, and be indifferent to the proposed public gathering. In Attorney-General v Times Newspapers Ltd [1974] AC 273, at page 301, Lord Reid examined the pressure that publication of comments of court decisions may impose on the Judiciary and said:  But I must add to prevent misunderstanding that comment where a case is under appeal is a very different matter.  For one thing it is scarcely possible to imagine a case where comment could influence judges in the Court of Appeal or noble and learned Lords in this House.  And it would be wrong and contrary to existing practice to limit proper criticism of judgments already given but under appeal. The Malaysian Bar therefore calls on the Government, police and other law enforcement agencies to work together with the organisers of any proposed assemblies on 9 January 2012, to ensure that the rakyat’s constitutional right to peaceful assembly will be honoured, protected and upheld.   Lim Chee Wee President Malaysian Bar 6 January 2012

SUHAKAM: THE RIGHT TO ASSEMBLE AND THE SAFETY OF ALL PEOPLE MUST BE SAFEGUARDED

PRESS STATEMENT

THE RIGHT TO ASSEMBLE AND THE SAFETY OF ALL PEOPLE MUST BE SAFEGUARDED

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (the Commission) welcomes the efforts taken by the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar to initiate a dialogue between the Police and the organisers of the planned assembly of 9th January 2012. The Commission has on several occasions called upon the authorities to allow and to facilitate the right of the people to exercise their right of public assembly. The willingness of the Police to facilitate and ensure an orderly and peaceful assembly is therefore applauded and supported by the Commission. Such facilitation will ensure the exercise of the right to assemble without jeopardising the rights of others to conduct their daily lives and affairs with minimum disruption. In this regard, if required, the Commission is willing to offer its assistance, as a neutral and impartial body, at the dialogue to faciliate an orderly and peaceful assembly on 9th January.
 

The Commission also wishes to reiterate its stand that while it acknowledges that peace and stability are paramount and that public order needs to be maintained at all times, it is also of the view that public assemblies provide an avenue for the public to express themselves on issues that are of concern. These rights are provided for under Article 10(1)(b) of the Federal Constitution and Article 20(1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), and Article 19 of the UDHR on freedom of expression.
 

Nonetheless, in the demand for democracy, the Commission urges all parties to exercise their rights responsibly in ensuring that peace and safety of all involved are safeguarded and importantly, that the rights of other people who are indirectly involved must also be respected and protected. In this regard, the Commission looks forward to the Government’s continued support and commitment towards the protection and promotion of human rights.
 

“HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ALL”

TAN SRI HASMY AGAM
Chairman
The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM)

5/1/2012

Sad news as Senate passes Peaceful Assembly Bill - now all up to the King

KEMPEN KEBEBASAN BERHIMPUN

Press Statement: 21 December 2011

Passing of the PA Bill 2011: 10 steps backwards and against the Fundamental Liberties!

The committee of Campaign for Freedom to Assemble strongly condemns the passage of the Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011 by the Senate yesterday. We comprised of 30 over Civil Society groups and individuals are disappointed at the passage of the bill despite protests from civil society groups from around the country and internationally.  The passage of the Bill is now a foregone conclusion and it is expected to become law by next year after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong signs it and it gets gazetted.

The Bill is Politically Motivated

The hotly contested Bill was first tabled at parliament on the 22^nd of November 2011 at the Dewan Rakyat (House of Representative) and then the bill was passed by the House on the 29^th of November. Presently, the bill has just been passed by the Senate with only a day of debate. 

The Bill was meant to replace Section 27 of Police Act that governed the need for a police permit to hold any assemblies, meetings and processions. Although the bill which has been passed in the Senate is the amended version; it still bans street protests, there is no room for spontaneous protest, there is a prohibition for non-citizens and citizens under 21 years of age to assemble peacefully, there is a conditional access to media for public gatherings, and it provides a wide range of power to the police.

This new Peaceful Assembly Bill will pose a threat to democracy. The limitation of the right to freedom of assembly is unreasonable and unjustifiable in a democratic society. The move by the government of Malaysia is fully politically motivated and is ten steps backwards in terms of human rights. This is an outright disgrace for the Malaysia government despite being a member of the UN Human Rights Council.

UN Experts Condemn the Bill!

The Bill also came under fire by a group of United Nations independent experts who warned that a new Peaceful Assembly Bill in Malaysia may “arbitrarily and disproportionately restrict the right to assemble peacefully”.

The Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai, expressed his deep regret that “neither the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM), nor civil society was meaningfully consulted in the drafting of this Bill.” He also claimed that many of these restrictions are not justifiable under international law.  The UN Experts warned the government of Malaysia and stressed their position that, under international human rights law, “everyone” has the right to freedom of assembly and association, without distinction of any kind, including nationality, and appeal to the Government of Malaysia to urgently review the Bill to ensure its compliance with fundamental human rights.

Withdraw the Bill Immediately and repeal Section 27 of Police Act!

The BN/UMNO government has used its Parliamentary majority to force through a bad law that risks doing more harm than good. It sets a worrying precedent for this Parliament. The Bill is constitutionally inconsistent as well as being illiberal. It has also codified the recent approach of the government towards demonizing peaceful assemblies (such as by reference to the rights of third parties).

Malaysia’s Senate should have shown leadership and upheld the rights of all in Malaysia by rejecting this reprehensible bill. If the bill becomes law, this measure would put a wide range of people at risk of criminal sanctions for exercising their basic rights. This includes ordinary citizens with legitimate reasons to protest, students, indigenous peoples opposing land encroachment, and workers, as well as human rights defenders and their friends, families and colleagues.

We are concerned about the repercussion of these proposed legislative changes on the work of Malaysian NGOs, civil society groups, political parties and citizens. The new proposed legislation while recognising the need for peaceful assembly merely acts to further limit this fundamental right.

 

We hereby urge the government to adopt the recommendations made by SUHAKAM in its 2001 special report on ‘Freedom of Assembly’ to the Parliament. In the report, SUHAKAM proposed several noteworthy recommendations based on the findings and best practices in other countries and through various discussions with the police and other interested parties.

 

We oppose the Bill and urge the government to withdraw the Bill immediately. We also urge the government to remove restrictions under the Section 27A of the Police Act and Penal Code and establish an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) as per the recommendations made by the 2005 Royal Commission on Policing without further delay.

 

Please contact Miss Nalini at 03 77843525 or 019 3758912 for any queries.

Released by,

 

SUARAM

Secretariat of the Campaign for the Freedom to Assemble

 

Happy Human Rights Day & Congrats to Tijah and SUARAM

Congrats to Tijah and SUARAM, the recipients of  SUHAKAM's 2011 Human Rights Awards... and continue to struggle for human rights all you the many other Human Rights Defenders in Malaysia, some who have been involved in the struggle for over 30-40 years, many of whom are media-shy and do their work for human rights without fear or favour sacrificing their own time, effort and even money...Syabas...

M'sia 'lagging far behind' Indonesia on human rights

6:05PM Dec 10, 2011

 

The Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) today proposed that parliamentary select committees give more focused and informed consideration to basic rights issues.

Suhakam chairman Hasmy Agam said this would bolster parliamentary democracy in the country.

"Every policy or law being formulated in the interest of the country must not only comply with the provisions in the Federal Constitution but also universal principles and human basic rights norms," he said at the inaugural Basic Human Rights Award 2011 presentation ceremony.

"The voice of the people must be acknowledged and accorded priority, regardless of whether they are government or opposition supporters, when drafting policies and implementing certain programmes, particularly with regard to women, children, senior citizens and the Orang Asli in the peninsula and natives in Sabah and Sarawak," he stressed.

Suaram honoured with award

He said Malaysia should be a forerunner among Asean nations in upholding basic human rights.

"Malaysia is lagging far behind in the aspect of human rights compared to other countries like Indonesia although we are progressing fast economically," he said.

Meanwhile, the Special Award went to Integrity School (a school of six set up within a prison for juvenile offenders based in Kajang, Kluang, Marang, Sungai Petani, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching).

Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) received the award in the Organisation Category and Tijah Yok Chopil of the Semai Orang Asli, in the Individual Category.

A ‘Young Maid for Sale’ report of ntv7's Mandarin version of ‘Edisi Siasat’ hosted by Kong Lik Hwan won in the Media Category. 

- Bernama - Malaysiakini, 10/12/2011, M'sia 'lagging far behind' Indonesia on human rights

 

TIJAH Yok Chopil is one of the most important voices of the Orang Asli.

TIJAH still remembers her first day of school in 1976. The traumatic events that unfolded that day are etched in her memory. Her reflections of those events and subsequent experiences made her into what she is today.

That day, the orang asli children of Kampung Chang in Perak were bussed out of their settlement to be schooled in a national school in Bidor town, some 30 minutes away.

“When we got down from the bus all the other kids looked at us like we were aliens. They were afraid of us and we were afraid of them. Then they jeered and teased us. We felt so ashamed,” recalls Tijah who was eight then and now is in her early 40s.

Subsequent negative experiences with people outside of her community made her ask why her people were so alienated in the country that ironically, recognised them as the “original people” or orang asli.

Preserving her identity: Tijah Yok Chopil has worked tirelessly to empower and unite the orang asli community.

“I realised the answer is not to run and hide but to stand our ground, to unite to empower ourselves and to explain to the outside world who we are.”

With 18 diverse ethnic groups numbering 150,000, Tijah has the challenge of empowering and uniting the orang asli to speak in one voice. She started with the people closest to her – her family and community.

At 17, she started teaching her siblings and neighbours’ kids to read and write. Due to the many negative experiences in school, and having no money to buy food or books, many orang asli children dropped out of school. But through sheer effort and determination, Tijah managed to continue schooling despite having to help her mother farm and tap rubber to support her nine siblings when her father died when she was only 12.

As a result of her classes, which eventually included adults, almost no one in her village is illiterate today. Tijah also began to join discussions with orang asli leaders on the problems besetting the community. But she realised soon enough that the menfolk could not accept a young, vocal woman who speaks her mind.

“I found the men who claimed to be our leaders were not really engaging with the community or finding creative ways to solve our problems. So instead of waiting for them, I decided to start my own group. I decided to engage with the womenfolk and we called ourselves Kumpulan Ibu-Ibu Kampung Chang (Kampung Chang’s Women’s Group).

“After many years, the young people who had been my students and the womenfolk became my strong allies. They helped me organise the community when there are land incursions or when we need to voice our demands to the government.”

The men eventually joined the women in the village and together they changed the name of the group to Sinui Pai Nanuk Sngik (SPNS), which means New Life, One Heart in 1995. Through this organisation, they ran classes and workshops for the community on activities ranging from weaving baskets to paralegal training on land rights.

From those humble beginnings, the SPNS model spread to other villages. Over the years it became a network linking five states in Peninsular Malaysia and SPNS evolved to what is now known as the Village Network of Peninsular Malaysia Orang Asli. (Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli Semenanjung Malaysia).

The Village Network has over the years become a powerful force in voicing for orang asli rights. Through their collective efforts, they managed to stave off several threats of land incursions into their native customary territories. Their latest struggle is to protest against the new land policy that was approved without consultation with the orang asli grassroots by the National Land Council last December.

The title of the policy – “Policy of Awarding Land Titles” – is in itself misleading and offensive to the orang asli, says Tijah. “It assumes that the orang asli have no land ... but we have been here from the beginning. All we need is the Government to recognise our customary land territories. We don’t need the Government to sympathise with us or to give us what we already have.”

Most of the orang asli were unaware of the Policy and Tijah took it upon herself to inform the community throughout Peninsular Malaysia. Together with the members of the Village Network, they went on a roadtrip to inform and gather the opinions of the grassroots.

“We found that all of us are very angry about the policy, and we wanted to express our feelings to the Government. So that’s where the protest came about. We managed to organise 3,000 people from all over the country to demonstrate at Putrajaya. This is the first time in Malaysian history that so many orang asli have come together in a show of strength to protest a government policy.”

The Village Network is facing its biggest challenge yet as penetration into orang asli territory is growing aggressive. – Wild Asia

Heroes

BOTH Tijah Yok Chopil and the Persatuan Prihatin Konservasi, Kebudayaan, Sosial dan Kebajikan Lubok Bongor have been nominated as Wild Asia Heroes in recognition of their efforts to promote sustainable practices and empower local communities. Short films on the heroes will be screened on Oct 17 during the Eco Film Fest at Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. For details, go to wildasia.org and ecoknights.com. - Star, 28/9/2010, A Semai woman overcomes all odds

 

Bar Council's Human Rights Programme 2.00pm, 10/12/2011 - Admission is free

Bar Council Human Rights Committee Celebrates Human Rights Day 2011

Wednesday, 07 December 2011 08:11am

Date: 10 Dec 2011 (Saturday) Time: 2:00 pm to 7:30 pm Venue: Auditorium, Kuala Lumpur Bar Committee, Level 10, Wisma Kraftangan, No 9 Jalan Tun Perak, 50050 Kuala Lumpur Human Rights Day 2011 is just around the corner.  For this year’s celebration, the Bar Council Human Rights Committee (”BCHRC”) is organising a programme that focuses on two issues.  The first part will take a look at the use of death penalty in Malaysia and the impact on society, through a forum on the death penalty, and the screening of the documentary film “Death in Dilemma: The Final Curtain”, directed by Seira Sacha Abu Bakar and Khaizan Sharizad Ab Razak Dali (Sherrie), members of BCHRC. The second part will focus on participatory democracy and the need for society to get involved, through #IdolaDemokrasi Gameshop — An Experience in Malaysia’s Democracy and Citizen Action.  The Gameshop will be conducted by Edmund Bon, human rights lawyer. Admission is free. For more details or to register, please contact Adi Irman (            03-2050 2102      ) or Adilah Ariffin (            03-2050 2091      ; adilah@malaysianbar.org.my)

A candle light vigil at Dataran Merdeka at 8pm on 10th Dec, Human Rights Day

Well, it looks like we will be having candle light vigil this HR Day

Each year we see the rights of Malaysians stripped away.

In 2011, we have been faced with so many violations  of our rights and have seen much injustice served. Some of these faced by us, the rakyat of Malaysia, include no justice for Teoh Beng Hock, Aleesha Farhana & Ahmad Sarbani, the “illegalisation” of Bersih 2.0 and victimisation of the EO6, the outrageous  Malaysia-Australia Refugee Swap Deal, the environmental nightmare of Lynas, the banning of Seksualiti Merdeka and, of course, the most recent, the Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011. In spite of all these happenings, the rakyat has shown great spirit in speaking up for their rights.

In conjunction with Human Rights Day 2011, UndiMsia! would like to invite  you to join us to celebrate and reclaim our rights.

Let us come together this Saturday (10th Dec) 8pm at Dataran Merdeka for a candlelight vigil.

Spread the word. Bring a friend and some candles!

The people united will never be defeated.

UN: Malaysia: new Bill threatens right to peaceful assembly with arbitrary and disproportional restrictions

Malaysia: new Bill threatens right to peaceful assembly with arbitrary and disproportional restrictions

Thursday, 08 December 2011 09:02am

GENEVA (7 December 2011) – A group of United Nations independent experts warned that a new Peaceful Assembly Bill in Malaysia may “arbitrarily and disproportionately restrict the right to assemble peacefully.” The restrictions range from a ban on street protests and a prohibition on non-citizens and citizens under 21 years of age to assemble peacefully, to conditional access for media to public gatherings. “Many of these restrictions are not justifiable under international law,” said the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai, expressing his deep regret that “neither the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM), nor civil society was meaningfully consulted in the drafting of this Bill.” According to the proposed legislation, which contains a vague definition of assembly, there would also be broad restrictions and conditions on gatherings and a restrictive notification procedure. The Bill gives excessive authority and power to law enforcement officials and the Minister in charge of home affairs on matters related to assemblies, as well as full discretion to the police to make any form of recording of assemblies. “The right to assemble and protest peacefully is an essential safeguard for the defence of human rights and fundamental freedoms in any pluralistic society,” said the Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya. “I am particularly alarmed by the provision prohibiting citizens under 21 years of age to assemble. Political and social participation through peaceful protests are not only an educational experience for children, youth and students but also an investment for society as a whole.” The Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of expression, Frank La Rue, urged the Government of Malaysia to seriously reconsider the adoption of the bill, which would contravene international human rights standards. “The ability of all individuals to express themselves freely, including in the form of peaceful assemblies, is a litmus test for the level of democracy in any country,” he said recalling a previous call of concern on the Government’s response to the Bersih 2.0 demonstrations in November.*  “Under international human rights law, ‘everyone’ has the right to freedom of assembly and association, without distinction of any kind, including nationality,” said the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, François Crépeau. “I am deeply concerned at the provision of the draft law which prohibits non-citizens to organize or participate in a peaceful assembly. I appeal to the Government of Malaysia to urgently review the Bill to ensure its compliance with fundamental human rights.” The group of UN independent experts warned that “with this legislation, people in Malaysia may not be able to express their dissent in public spaces without fear of being detained or sanctioned.” (*) “Malaysia: Government risks undermining democratic progress, say UN experts”  ENDS

Thai Union leader and labour activist for exercising right of peaceful assembly - Let us campaign for an end of State persecution of HR Defenders

Cet appel sera publié dans la section française de note site web dans quelques jours: www.frontlinedefenders.org/fr Este llamamiento será publicado en breve en la versión española de nuestra página web: www.frontlinedefenders.org/es Данное сообщение сейчас переводится и появится на русскоязычной версии сайта через несколько дней www.frontlinedefenders.org/ru سيتم ترجمة هذه المناشدة وستظهر في القسم العربي من موقعنا الالكتروني خلال بضعة ايام www.frontlinedefenders.org/ar

7 December 2011

 

Re: Thailand – Human rights defenders Jittra Kotchadej, Boonrod Paiwong, and Soonthorn Boonyord to appear in pre-trial hearing on 23 December 

 

Human rights defenders Ms Jittra Kotchadej, Ms Boonrod Paiwong, and Mr Soonthorn Boonyord are due to appear in a pre-trial hearing on 23 December 2011 to decide on the dates of their trial. The human rights defenders are officially charged under Section 215 and 216 of the Criminal Code for leading and organising a peaceful assembly in front of the Parliament House in Bangkok. Jittra Kotchadej is an adviser of the Triumph International Labour Union. Boonrod Paiwong is the former Secretary-General of the Triumph International Labour Union. Soonthorn Boonyord is a labour activist affiliated with the National Congress of Thai Labour. Each of them could face a maximum jail term of five years and/or each be fined up to 10,000 baht (USD 325). 

 

On 27 August 2009, the Triumph International Labour Union organised a demonstration to follow up on the government's promise to find a remedy for 2,000 workers who were dismissed by Triumph International factories. The members of the Labour Union had earlier met with the secretary of then Prime Minister Abhisit Vejajiva, who promised that he would look into the dismissal. The demonstration consisted of around 400 women labour activists from the Triumph International Labour Union, the Electronic and Mechanic Labour Union, and the World Garment Factory Labour Union, as well as human rights defenders from non-governmental organisations working on labour rights.

When the workers arrived at the Government House, no government official came out to talk to them so they moved to the parliament and received the same treatment. In response to their peaceful demonstration, the police used Long Range Acoustic Devices (LRAD) as a means to forcefully disperse the demonstration. Many of the labour activists were later diagnosed with ear problems as a result of the usage of the LRAD machine by the police.

On 27 January 2011, the public prosecutor officially charged Jittra Kotchadej, Boonrod Paiwong, and Soonthorn Boonyord. They submitted assets worth 200,000 Thai Baht (USD 6,490) each as a guarantee in order to be granted bail. All three human rights defenders had submitted assets worth 100,000 Thai Baht (USD 3,245) each after the police at Dusit Precinct issued arrest warrants against them.

The human rights defenders are charged under Section 215 and 216 of the Criminal Code. Section 215 states that “If the offender is leading an act [which threatens violence or to cause a breach of peace], he/she shall be punished for the maximum of five years imprisonment or fined not exceeding ten thousands baht or both”. Section 216 states that “[w]hen an official orders any person assembled under section 215 to disperse and such person does not disperse, he/she shall be imprisoned for the maximum of three years or fined for the maximum of six thousands baht or both”.

Front Line believes that the charges against Jittra Kotchadej, Boonrod Paiwong, and Soonthorn Boonyord are directly related to their work in the defence of human rights, in particular in demanding compensation for the 2,000 workers who were dismissed from their work.

Front Line urges the authorities in Thailand to:

1. Immediately drop all charges against Jittra Kotchadej, Boonrod Paiwong, and Soonthorn Boonyord as it is believed that they are solely motivated by the human rights defenders' legitimate and peaceful work in defence of human rights;
   
   
2. Take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity and security of the aforenamed human rights defenders; 
    
3. Refrain from using section 215 and 216 of the Thai Criminal Code as a mean to persecute human rights defenders holding peaceful demonstrations in the promotion and protection of human rights; 
    
4. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Thailand are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment.

200 brave water sprinklers to protest Assembly Bill (Malaysiakini)

200 brave water sprinklers to protest Assembly Bill

Nigel Aw 4:18PM Dec 3, 2011

Despite what appeared to be attempts by the KLCC management to cause inconveniences, some 200 people converged at its park off Jalan Ampang in a carnival-like gathering to oppose the Peaceful Assembly Bill.

Instead of being met by police batons and water cannons on its second Saturday afternoon protest, the group of about 200, clad in yellow, were met with water sprinklers.

The group moved close to some trees in the park after the KLCC management, again, cordoned off its compound for a cleaning operation, including the area the protesters used last week.

There, they stood around national laureate A Samad Said, who is popularly known as Pak Samad, as he recited his poems. Then, the complex management turned on water sprinklers on the ground where they stood.

Undaunted, those who were caught in the sprays shielded themselves with umbrellas and continued to listen to Pak Samad, who recited his latest poem in tribute to the occupy movement, Merindu Ruang (Missing Space) after reciting his Bersih poem, 'Unggun Bersih'.

"Let us fight violence with the beauty of literature," declared one of its organisers, Wong Chin Huat, who is also a steering committee member of Bersih.

Top leaders from DAP also threw their weight behind today's rally, with the presence of DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang and several MPs and state assemblypersons from the party, including Teo Nie Ching, Charles Santiago, Tony Pua, Teresa Kok, Ean Yong Hian Wah and Ronnie Liu.

"We must have a parliamentary select committee before the Peaceful Assembly Bill becomes law, we want public consultation. All of us want to give our views in a real democracy," said Lim.

The bill, which was passed by Parliament despite stringent opposition, is seen to be far more draconian than section 27 of the Police Act.

It bans all street protests, imposes far stricter requirements on rally organisers as well as higher fines for more offences and gives blanket powers to the police.

'PM's game changer not enough'

Samad later concluded his poem with the words:

Ada sang perubah permainan
kami perubah kekuasaan
Inilah tekad generasi baru
akarnya keadilan syahdu

(There is a game changer
But we are changers of the powers
This is the young generation's determination
its root is noble justice)

Asked what he meant by "game changer", Samad said he was referring to the prime minister's speech at the Umno general assembly earlier this week.

"The prime minister' speech said he needs a game changer, but what we need is regime change," he said.

The celebrated poet added that he was there to lend a hand in opposing the Peaceful Assembly Bill.

"We saw just now, even when we wanted to recite poem, that we need a letter of permission. That is not democracy. I'm doing this to help create a freer atmosphere."

Protest disrupted by KLCC security

Earlier, when the protesters were taking turns to recite poems at the gathering, a KLCC security officer intervened and said that they needed permission from the management, despite the place being a public park.

When the crowd began to boo, Wong stepped in and queried if the crowd would require permission if they gathered inside KLCC to look at its Christmas decorations, to which the security officer replied: "No".

"Then next week, we will gather inside KLCC to appreciate the beauty of Christmas trees," declared Wong, cheekily.

The crowd later adhered to the demands of the security officer and dispersed in an orderly fashion.

Speaking to reporters later, Wong said the crowd was smaller than last week because the KLCC management had cordoned off their intended location.

However, he brushed aside any intention of ill-will over the move and the fact that water sprinklers were turned on where the protesters had gathered.

"KLCC is secretly supporting Bersih, we are heartened that it has supported our action in the last two weeks," he quipped.

Wong vowed that the protests to oppose the Peaceful Assembly Bill would continue, even after it becomes law.

"Don't expect us to back down. We are waiting to be arrested and put behind bars, and I'm sure enough people are willing to take a stand to defend our freedom to assemble."

VIDEO l 12.23 mins - Malaysiakini, 3/12/2011, 200 brave water sprinklers to protest Assembly Bill