We only want your Bloody TOLL Money...

20 arrested at anti-toll protest January 21, 2007
Posted by elizabethwong in Current Affairs, Malaysia, Human Rights. trackback

Twenty (20) persons were arrested at today’s anti-toll protest in Cheras. They are currently held at the Kajang IPD.

They include Dr. Hatta Ramli (PAS), Ronnie Liu (DAP) and Tian Chua (KeADILan). Others that I know of are Jasmine, Jack - a graphic designer and Lee ‘lao shi’, a teacher.

A journalist from Malaysiakini.com, Andrew Ong, was also arrested. Apparently, the police wanted to see his photographs inside his trusty Nikon D-50. (?)

They are expected to be released sometime tonight. When I spoke to Tian on the phone, he said he will have to seek medical help as one of his shoulder may be sprained or dislocated.

No news since 5.30 pm. The phones numbers that I have are either offline or going into voicemail. This is the third protest since the toll-hike was implemented.

(updated: 1930 h, source: Suaram press statement)

(…) Eyewitnesses said the police cracked down the demonstration without giving any warning to the protestors. The demonstration started at 4.00pm at the toll near Cheras Mahkota and merely less than five minutes, the police moved in violently to arrest the protestors.

Some detainees have suffered serious injury due to the excessive force used by the police. Tian Chua said his arm might be dislocated due to the violent manner deployed by the police while arresting him. The detainees were handcuffed while being arrested. Some complained that the handcuff was locked tightly that they cut into their skin.

(…)

We condemn the police for intimidating the journalist from Malaysiakini by confiscating the camera of the journalist, Andrew Ong. This is clearly an attempt by the police to destroy any evidence of their violent acts to prevent this evidence from being used in any inquiry into their abuse of powers, such as had been done in the Suhakam’s (National Human Rights Commission) public inquiry on the “Bloody Sunday” incident. (…)