INSPECTOR-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador must immediately put a stop to the abuse of power shown by his men in intimidating activists, said a civil society group today.
Citizens Against Enforced Disappearances (Caged) said police investigations against human right defenders are actually attempts to intimidate and harass these activists.
It added that such investigations only served to further tarnish the reputation of Malaysian police.
“We urge the Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador to rein in his men. We urge him to halt blatant abuse of police power for purposes of intimidation… we urge him to salvage the reputation of the police.
“The government must immediately stop the ramping up, by the police, of intimidatory ‘investigations’ of human rights defenders,” said Caged in a statement in Kuala Lumpur today.
Caged was referring to the police questioning of Suaram executive director Sevan Doraisamy yesterday about a public forum titled “The LTTE conundrum
and Sosma as a draconian law” on November 25.
Sevan is being investigated for “making or circulating any statement, rumour or report with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquility”.
Caged said the police investigations on Sevan was to cover up for the poor decision to arrest alleged LTTE sympathisers on October.
It added that it was a matter of public record that the LTTE – if it still exists – was not classified as a terrorist organisation in many areas.
“Therefore, the fact that senior police officers ordered the arrest of persons sympathetic to the LTTE is a confusing and difficult problem or question, a conundrum.
“It is also a matter of public record that many national leaders have labelled Sosma (Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012) a draconian law.
“The forum was just an exercise of the freedom of speech, assembly and association enshrined in Article 10 of the Federal Constitution. It is bizarre that the police should think otherwise,” it added.
THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.