Once again, the Malaysian government proves its intolerance to peaceful assembly and free speech. The government just can't handle public protest, whether it is on issues regarding violation of human rights or equal right for minority. The recent street protests against the repressive Internal Security Act used to curtail human rights and crush political opposition was met with brute force from police .
Malaysian police violently put down a mass street protest against a law that allows for indefinite detention without trial. Police used tear gas and chemical-laced water Saturday to disperse an estimated ten of thousand people in downtown Kuala Lumpur who were protesting the nation's Internal Security Act. Almost 600 people were arrested in the protest, the country's biggest in nearly two years. Kuala Lumpur police Chief said those held were being investigated for illegal assembly — an offense punishable by up to a year in prison and a fine.
Saturday's protest was the biggest since November 2007 when several thousands of ethnic Indian Malaysians demonstrated against discrimination of their minority community. Human rights activists have held numerous smaller protests over the years against the Internal Security Act, claiming it has been used in the past to jail hundreds of government critics. They say at least 17 people are being held under the law, mainly for alleged links to militants and document forgery.
Adding to a long list of universal human rights violation is the recent mysterious death of a political aide, Mr.Teoh Beng Hock, in July has galvanized opposition parties and caused widespread outrage among supporters. Mr.Teoh, a legislative aide in the opposition-controlled state of Selangor, was found dead the next afternoon beneath the 14th storey window of the offices of Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission's (MACC) building after was summoned to a nightlong interrogation as a potential "witness" of an ongoing misuse of state fund investigation. A pathologist’s report said he died of internal injuries from a fall; but his belt and back pockets were torn, visible cut wound were found on his palms, several sets of unidentified DNA profile on his shirt and belt; adding to speculation foul play in his death.
Based on the pathologist inquest testimonial, he suggested the likely cause of the death is him committing suicide. The assertion is just preposterous and purely conjecture; the circumstances leading to his death is highly speculative and unusual, and not a shred of evidence collected at the scene of his death pointed to this direction.
A "witness" is forced to go through a night long interrogation until 3.30 am , and have to sleep over in the building till next morning to continue the questioning. None of his finger prints and shoes prints were found around the window frame, edges or dusty carpet where he presumed to have jumped out, he could have possibly done that only by flying through the air out of the window few feet above the ground the moment he entered the office.
Adding to the puzzle is the 30 years old deceased had been busily prepared for week and ready for his marriage in the coming day after the interrogation, none of his friends or co-workers had noticed any sign whatsoever indicate he is in deep emotional distress, or stressful enough to kill himself, unless you buy into the rationale that he is overwhelmed by joy with the happiest moment is nearing, that he choose to take his own life prematurely.
His mobile phone was handed to the police few days after his death by MACC indicate it was confiscated from the deceased while he was in custody to prevent him from calling for help and reaching out for assistance. One of his shoes is about ten feet away and a loose bracelet are seem laying around, indicate possibly the items were fell out of the owner during struggle prior to his plunged to death, and was tossed out of the window by his attackers. Apart from the close proximity of the body to the building wall and large amount of paint flanks on the ground, it is more likely the deceased was dropped from the window after have been dead or at least unconscious for hours, which explain the limited amount of blood found on the scene of his death.
It is inconsistent with someone who is alive and jump out from a window opening with intent to commit suicide due to guilty conscious as a "witness" of a corruption investigation and can't stand the "invisible" pressure of night long questioning as callously claimed by the chief commissioner of the agency.
Deaths in custody have increased in recent years, according to Suaram, a human rights group. Estimated 1,535 people died in police custody between 2003 and 2007.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment