Malaysia
03.05.02
Urgent Interventions
Malaysia: Arbitrary arrests, including of one child, attacks and dispersal of a peaceful demonstration of workers at Kuala Lumpur City Centre
Case MYS 030502/030502.CC
CHILD CONCERN
Attack on peaceful demonstrators/Arbitrary arrests/Incommunicado detention
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Malaysia.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by SUARAM, that on May 1st, 2002, the police violently dispersed a peaceful demonstration of workers at Kuala Lumpur City Centre, and arbitrarily arrested 18 people, including an 8-year old boy.
According to the information received, on May 1st, 2002, at around 10 a.m., 150 people began the annual May Day march of progressive workers and supporters, which began in Chow Kit and was scheduled to end in Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC Twin Towers). After the demonstrators had walked for approximately 1.5 km, a group of police officers from the Dang Wangi district attacked the assembled crowd without warning or provocation.
According to the information received, Bakri Zinin, the officer in charge of Dang Wangi Police District OCPD, led the assault, and attacked the negotiators who were present at the front of the march. Several workers were reportedly hurt, as the police grabbed banners, clothes, and leaflets. The police reportedly attempted to prevent workers from getting into buses parked nearby when the attacks began. An hour later, the buses were allowed to drive the demonstrators away, but negotiators were arrested as they helped people into the vehicles. By 12:30 p.m., 18 people had been arrested in several areas of Medan Dang Wangi and KLCC, among them an 8-year old boy - whose identity is currently unknown - because he was reportedly wearing a headscarf with the slogan “Return the Rights of Workers.”
The list of 17 of the people arrested near the Sheraton, Kuala Lumpur and held at Campbell Police Station, Kuala Lumpur (unless stated otherwise), include:
Alaigal
1. Mohanarani (woman)
2. Dr. Kumar Devaraj (location unknown)
3. Nathan (location unknown)
Livestock Committee Bukit Tinggi Estate
4. A. Devindran (Chairperson)
Party Sosialis Malaysia
5. Dr. Nasir Hashim (President)
6. V. Selvam (Central Committee; Indah Water Union Executive Secretary)
7. K. Ramasamy (Chairperson Subang branch)
Plantation Workers Support Committee
8. Sivami Subramaniam
9. Sevan Doraisamy
10. Vankat Rao Naidu
11. Eswaran Sengalrayan
12. Ravi Chandran Muniandy
SUARAM
13. S. Arutchelvan (Coordinator)
14. Choo Shin Chei (member)
WIMTECH
15. Lee Siew Hwa (woman)
16. Shaharuddin Adnan (video documentator)
17. Abdul Rahman Abdul Aziz (pedestrian)
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned about the attack by the Malaysian authorities against peaceful demonstrators, in which a number of persons were reportedly injured and which is, in addition, in violation of these persons’ freedoms of opinion and association. OMCT is also gravely concerned about the arrests of the afore-mentioned persons, most notably the arbitrary arrest of an 8-year old child. Furthermore, OMCT is particularly concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of the two arrested persons whose whereabouts remain unknown
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Malaysia urging them to:
· Immediately locate and disclose the whereabouts of Dr. Kumar Devaraj and Nathan and take all necessary measures to guarantee their physical and psychological integrity;
· order the immediate release of all the afore-mentioned persons in the absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
· order a thorough and impartial investigation into the reports of these events, in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
· guarantee that all persons that were injured in these events be afforded adequate reparation;
· guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards - notably the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in this case.
Addresses
· Ybhg Tan Sri Musa Hitam, Chairperson Malaysian Human Rights Commission, c/o Kementerian Luar Negeri, Wisma Putra, 50602 Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, Fax : 603 242 50 43, Email : humanrights@humanrights.com.my
· Datuk Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Home Minister, Jalan Dato Onn, 50502 Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, Fax : 603 230 10 51
· Tan Sri Norian Mai, Inspector General of Police, Ibupejabat Polis Dirija Malaysia, Bukit Aman, 50560 Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, Fax : 603 227 313 26
Please also write to the embassies of Malaysia in your respective country.
Geneva, May 3rd, 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
CHILD CONCERN
Attack on peaceful demonstrators/Arbitrary arrests/Incommunicado detention
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Malaysia.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by SUARAM, that on May 1st, 2002, the police violently dispersed a peaceful demonstration of workers at Kuala Lumpur City Centre, and arbitrarily arrested 18 people, including an 8-year old boy.
According to the information received, on May 1st, 2002, at around 10 a.m., 150 people began the annual May Day march of progressive workers and supporters, which began in Chow Kit and was scheduled to end in Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC Twin Towers). After the demonstrators had walked for approximately 1.5 km, a group of police officers from the Dang Wangi district attacked the assembled crowd without warning or provocation.
According to the information received, Bakri Zinin, the officer in charge of Dang Wangi Police District OCPD, led the assault, and attacked the negotiators who were present at the front of the march. Several workers were reportedly hurt, as the police grabbed banners, clothes, and leaflets. The police reportedly attempted to prevent workers from getting into buses parked nearby when the attacks began. An hour later, the buses were allowed to drive the demonstrators away, but negotiators were arrested as they helped people into the vehicles. By 12:30 p.m., 18 people had been arrested in several areas of Medan Dang Wangi and KLCC, among them an 8-year old boy - whose identity is currently unknown - because he was reportedly wearing a headscarf with the slogan “Return the Rights of Workers.”
The list of 17 of the people arrested near the Sheraton, Kuala Lumpur and held at Campbell Police Station, Kuala Lumpur (unless stated otherwise), include:
Alaigal
1. Mohanarani (woman)
2. Dr. Kumar Devaraj (location unknown)
3. Nathan (location unknown)
Livestock Committee Bukit Tinggi Estate
4. A. Devindran (Chairperson)
Party Sosialis Malaysia
5. Dr. Nasir Hashim (President)
6. V. Selvam (Central Committee; Indah Water Union Executive Secretary)
7. K. Ramasamy (Chairperson Subang branch)
Plantation Workers Support Committee
8. Sivami Subramaniam
9. Sevan Doraisamy
10. Vankat Rao Naidu
11. Eswaran Sengalrayan
12. Ravi Chandran Muniandy
SUARAM
13. S. Arutchelvan (Coordinator)
14. Choo Shin Chei (member)
WIMTECH
15. Lee Siew Hwa (woman)
16. Shaharuddin Adnan (video documentator)
17. Abdul Rahman Abdul Aziz (pedestrian)
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned about the attack by the Malaysian authorities against peaceful demonstrators, in which a number of persons were reportedly injured and which is, in addition, in violation of these persons’ freedoms of opinion and association. OMCT is also gravely concerned about the arrests of the afore-mentioned persons, most notably the arbitrary arrest of an 8-year old child. Furthermore, OMCT is particularly concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of the two arrested persons whose whereabouts remain unknown
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Malaysia urging them to:
· Immediately locate and disclose the whereabouts of Dr. Kumar Devaraj and Nathan and take all necessary measures to guarantee their physical and psychological integrity;
· order the immediate release of all the afore-mentioned persons in the absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
· order a thorough and impartial investigation into the reports of these events, in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
· guarantee that all persons that were injured in these events be afforded adequate reparation;
· guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards - notably the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in this case.
Addresses
· Ybhg Tan Sri Musa Hitam, Chairperson Malaysian Human Rights Commission, c/o Kementerian Luar Negeri, Wisma Putra, 50602 Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, Fax : 603 242 50 43, Email : humanrights@humanrights.com.my
· Datuk Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Home Minister, Jalan Dato Onn, 50502 Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, Fax : 603 230 10 51
· Tan Sri Norian Mai, Inspector General of Police, Ibupejabat Polis Dirija Malaysia, Bukit Aman, 50560 Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, Fax : 603 227 313 26
Please also write to the embassies of Malaysia in your respective country.
Geneva, May 3rd, 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.