Police don't care, so assault victim goes to Suhakam

After months of indifference by Bukit Aman, a Human Rights Party supporter who was beaten up by 10 police officers and men during a peaceful protest in Ipoh in April lodged a report with the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) today.

"We had to bring this issue to Suhakam because the police are not taking seriously our complaints on the criminal abuses by their officers, who acted like gangsters," said Buntong PSM secretary Mohanarani Rasiah, who was among those presenting the memorandum to the Suhakam headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

P Ramesh, a private teacher, joined the peaceful protest in front of government house in Ipoh by some 20 villagers from Kampung DBI, who wanted to hand over a memorandum to the Perak menteri besar last April.

The protest was going on when Sungai Siput MP Dr D Jeyakumar, who accompanied the protesters, negotiated with the MB's private secretary to allow several representatives to proceed into the compound and meet up with the menteri besar.

They were waiting for the signal to send in the representatives when, out of the blue and despite an agreement already reached with the MB's office, a senior police officer, with the rank of deputy superintendent, suddenly led a 40-strong police contingent observing the gathering, to forcefully disperse the peaceful crowd.

In the ensuing melee, Ramesh was targeted by about 10 police officers and men, including the DSP, who singled him out for the beating.

'The DSP targeted me for revenge'

"I think that the DSP targeted me for revenge, because I was involved in several protests prior to this, against Interlok. Maybe this is their way of taking revenge, by targeting those who chanted slogans during protests.

"They cannot abuse their powers to take revenge against me," Ramesh said in his submission presented to Suhakam.

In a video showed during their complaint to Suhakam, it can be seen that the unarmed teacher, who was chanting slogans and offered no resistance to the police approaching him, was tackled to the ground by the police officers and despite being motionless, was brutally kicked by the men and the senior officer.

As a result of injuries sustained, Ramesh had to be admitted to the hospital for two days, as he began to cough, throw up and experienced severe pain in his head, neck and kidney area, all of which were targeted in the savage police beating.

The teacher and Buntong PSM, which had organised the protest, have lodged police reports and sent an official complaint to Bukit Aman and the IGP himself as well, but have not had any response - which was why they went to Suhakam today to hand over the memorandum.

In receiving the memorandum, Suhakam commissioner Mohd Sha'ani Abdullah expressed his abhorrence for such an abuse of power by the police and cited international law enforcement conventions that force should be the last resort for police in dealing with any incident.

"They are not like soldiers who search and kill. They are police, even if they shoot, they are supposed to shoot to disable, not to kill... In this case, force should not have been used against a peaceful crowd. Just the mere failure to disperse and obstructing traffic, if any, should not be an excuse for violence action," Md Sha'ani stressed.

Under the current environment, he said, it was sad that the higher ups in police and the government seem to be condoning the behaviour of rowdy police officers by not acting on complaints.

Mohd Sha'ani then went on to relate a similar case that occurred in Brickfields where the police officer who was at fault lied while testifying before Suhakam - and after this, he was promoted by the police force.

'Suhakam's report treated like sampah'

"Suhakam's report to the government on this matter was treated just like sampah (rubbish) by the powers that be," he added.

Mohd Sha'ani promised that Suhakam would do all it could to pursue the injustice done to Ramesh victim and take to task those responsible.

While admitting that "Suhakam is powerless", he hoped that their report and the public attention it garnered would create the impetus needed to empower the body and the public to bring about an environment more conducive to human rights in the future.

Also at the same time in the Suhakam headquarters this morning, Kajang municipal councillor Lee Hee Hiong gave her witness statement before the Suhakam public inquiry into alleged police brutality during the July 9 Bersih 2.0 electoral reform rally that had been declared illegal by the police.

"My name was submitted as a witness by the Bersih secretariat, and I was called by Suhakam to give my statement. I told them about two things.

"Firstly, about how I and 16 other Kajang councillors were charged with wearing Bersih T-shirts in June, prior to the rally.

"Secondly, I told them what I saw during the time I attended the rally, how we were sandwiched by FRU and police at Pudu road, were subjected to tear gas and had to flee into a nearby Chinese maternity hospital."

Lee added the next Suhakam panel hearing matter would sit again on Dec 15, when she may be asked to testify.