Demos are fine by Asean, say Jakarta protestors

A group demonstrates outside the Malaysian embassy to make the point that freedom of expression is not alien to Southeast Asian culture.

PETALING JAYA: In another sign of international support for Bersih 2.0, a group of Indonesians today demonstrated outside the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta and refused an invitation to go inside, preferring to “express freedom of expression” in public view.

“We wanted to make the point that freedom of expression is not alien to Southeast Asian culture and guaranteed under the Asean Charter,” Haris Azhar, the leader of the group, told FMT by phone.

Haris is a coordinator for Indonesia’s Federation of Commissions for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS). He said today’s demonstrators represented several Indonesian civic groups.

“When we reached the place, there were already 60 to 80 policemen waiting,” he said. “They told us a few representatives could enter to meet with the officials, but we refused.

“We refused because we wanted to express of freedom of expression. We wanted to show that it is totally fine for Southeast Asians to assemble and voice their views.”

He said Indonesian civil society was “a hundred percent” in solidarity with Malaysians demanding for their rights.

He described the Malaysian authorities’ handling of last Saturday’s Bersih rally as a violation of human rights and “totally nonsensical”.

“The Asean Charter clearly states that fundamental freedoms and human rights are recognised,” he said. “The way the Malaysian government acted, they have broken this law.”

All ten members of Asean adopted the charter in 2007 to serve as a constitution for the association.