'Kicked, beaten and pepper-sprayed'

BERSIH INQUIRY A youth who had participated in the Bersih 9.0 rally on July 9 claimed that police personnel had kicked and beaten him, sprayed his eyes four times with pepper spray, and verbally abused him as well.

Hanafi Hawari (right), testifying today at the public inquiry being held by the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), said three or four police personnel had assaulted him.

He said that he was in the vicinity of Maju Junction in Kuala Lumpur between noon and 1pm that day, and that he was wearing a Bersih 2.0 t-shirt with another yellow t-shirt underneath.

When he and his friends tried to move on to Dataran Maybank, they were prevented from doing so by the police who had set up a road-block.

Describing the scene, Hanafi, 21, a student at a construction academy, said there were about 2,500 people in the area.

"The police gave us three warnings, each one minute after the other, ordering us to disperse. A Federal Reserve Unit water-truck chased (the crowd) and tried to spray the chemical-laced water. There was not enough time to disperse.

“As I was leaving, I felt a sharp blow to the back of my head. As I was falling I felt several blows and kicks to my head and stomach (from people wearing boots).

“Three people who I believe to be from the police continued to assault me. My nose and mouth was bloodied and I was handcuffed when I was down."

Hanafi claimed that, all the while, his assaulters had called him ‘a traitor to the country’ and ‘stupid’ for participating in the rally.

He further said the police had sprayed his eyes repeatedly with pepper stray as he was falling, and again when he was taken to a police truck after being handcuffed.

Photos of his bruised eyes, face and nose were shown to the commissioners.

This is the second day of the inquiry before a three-member panel led by Suhakam deputy chairperson Khaw Lake Tee (left).

The inquiry is to establish if the police had excessive force in dispersing the rally for electoral reform.

PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu is scheduled to testify later today.

[More to follow]