Malaysian Government To Sue Bersih Protest Organisers For “Damages”
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The Malaysian government is attempting to claim compensation from several organisers of the recent ‘Bersih’ (clean in Malay) mass protest rally for fairer elections, after alleging that the campaign’s street-wide demonstrations had caused significant damage to public and government property.
The Malaysian government is attempting to claim compensation from several organisers of the recent ‘Bersih’ (clean in Malay) mass protest rally for fairer elections, after alleging that the campaign’s street-wide demonstrations had caused significant damage to public and government property.
According to AFP, the Malaysian government wants 122,000 ringgit ($38,500) in damages from Bersih’s organisers and have filed a lawsuit with the Malaysian High Court in order to claim the sum.
In its legal papers, the government added that the organisers had violated the country’s Peaceful Assembly Act, and as such were obliged to pay out “special damages” to the government for the events of that day.
The writ of summons further recounted that the defendants were offered an alternative location, such as Stadium Merdeka, to hold the rally, but chose not to do so.
Among the organisers charged included Bersih’s co-chairman Ambiga Sreenavasan – a prominent lawyer – and nine other top leaders of the organisation.
Maria Chin Abdullah, one of the organisers named in the suit, told AFP that the organisers were prepared “fight it (the case) in court”, and dismissed the case as another attempt by the government to gag its critics.
[quote]“They want to silence government critics. As far as we are concerned we will not be intimidated since we are exercising our fundamental liberties,” noted Nalini Elumalai, an executive director of the Malaysian human rights group Suaram, who denounced the government’s move as “selective prosecution” of activists.[/quote]Writing in a column for Free Malaysia Today, Ambiga Sreenavasan said that the government had “twisted and distorted the aim of the popular movement to make it look anti-business,” and were looking at ways to “smear the rally, especially its ‘ring’ leader.”
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“The scenario portrayed was frightening: the economy would be badly hit and people would suffer grievously as a result of street demonstrations. The protest came and went and left in its wake many bruised bodies and simmering resentment.”
[quote]“But did the wheels of business come to a grinding halt? Hardly. The country did not bleed to death and no investors fled. The upshot of the rally was that it stirred widespread public sympathy for a good cause and condemnation of the heavy-handed use of force against unarmed civilians. The government has lost its high moral ground – and this is not good for its image. It is not good business when Putrajaya gets red marks for bad behaviour.”[/quote]
