Let's Tell a Main Story of Bersih 3.0
by Kee Thuan ChyeA couple of hooligans injured a successful convene for an critical cause. The resulting assault became a fodder of mainstream media spin. It diverted courtesy from a main story of a day, i.e. which many, most people turned up for Bersih 3.0 in Kuala Lumpur, togged in symbolic yellow, as well as a convene was a outrageous success.
What got muted was a message which Malaysians stood up to be counted over a issue of giveaway as well as satisfactory elections. If a number which showed up was reported, it got buried in a raise of a some-more thespian reports about a violence.
What got muted was a message which a Government, a Election Commission as well as everybody involved in a electoral process contingency right divided take heed as well as hospital genuine electoral reform prior to a 13th general choosing is held.
Having been to both BERSIH2.0 as well as BERSIH3.0, you can quietly contend which there were many, most some-more during BERSIH 3.0 than during a preceding convene last July.
Those who were there upon Apr twenty-eight can testify which a convene was pacific indeed, a protestors common a clever clarity of intercourse (everyone there who was a stranger felt similar to a friend) as well as a atmosphere was gratifying as well as although a afternoon heat combined to a discomfo! rt of bo dies dire opposite each alternative as protestors shuffled towards Dataran Merdeka, there was calm, there was tolerance, buoyed by a clarity of purpose.
I was between a people relocating along Jalan Tun Perak towards a intersection with Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman as well as Jalan Raja. It was so packed which during a single prove when you were instructed to lay down, it was roughly impossible to do so. There was literally station room only.
But people were well-behaved. Our passion was expressed in cheering "BERSIH! BERSIH!" Someone played upon a drum as well as you chanted to a stroke of his beats.
There was not a singular hint of potential violence. So you sidled my approach brazen to get to a block of spiny wire which had been set up by a military to keep us out of a Dataran area. you managed to get flattering tighten to it.
Then suddenly, you saw gas wafting down from a monorail dike above. This was followed by a receptive to advice of rip gas shots. It was all really sudden.
The throng turned as well as moved quickly back. If people had panicked, it competence have led to a stampede. As it was, you kept our cool, though even so there was a small measure of pushing, so it was easy to stumble as well as fall. you saw a single immature woman being attended to by healing volunteers for carrying sustained an injury.
Meanwhile, a gas was attacking my ears as well as nose although you had a handkerchief pulpy to a lower partial of my face. you motionless to conduct divided from a trouble spot. But from Petaling Street, a military were firing rip gas as well. And this strike me a worst. you couldn't breathe. My nostrils were filled with mucus. you blew my nose, though you still couldn't breathe. you suspicion you competence collapse.
But associate protestors were helpful. They readily offering salt. you took some, as well as it helped. A Good Samaritan was giving divided giveaway ice cubes from his cart, parked beside a road. you dug in to them as well as scooped a little in to my handkerchief.
It was time to go home. you saw others carrying a same thought. Many of us headed for a nearest LRT station. you had no idea then which a means of all a tear-gassing had been a try by a couple of between a throng to breach a block during Dataran. you had no idea which H2O cannons had additionally been employed.
I usually found out an hour later when a crony SMSed me about a violence. you was stunned. More than that, you felt sad.
Was a assault caused by hooligans who were planted? To emanate an incident which would take divided a excellence of BERSIH3.0's success?
Why mangle by a barricade? What would it have achieved? What was a objective of removing in to a square? BERSIH 3.0 had already made a prove by a large turnout. Its co-chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasen had by then called upon everybody to disperse.
So because was there a group of people who still longed for to assign forward? The reports upon what actually happened have not been transparent nor conclusive. Some contend which PKR Deputy President Azmin incited a throng to mangle a barricade. If it's true, Azmin was working stupidly.
Some additionally contend which members of PAS's Unit Amal were between those who pennyless through. If it's true, PAS needs to deal with them severely, since their action would have brought a unit a detriment of respect.
On a alternative hand, have been a Police blameless? Why did they not now nab a couple of who pennyless by a block as well as thereby passage a try in a bud, then issue a unrelenting notice to stop others from advancing?! After a ll, a FRU personnel keeping ensure were many.
Why were they so trigger-happy as well as straight divided shot rip gas in to a crowd? Some people were strike by a canisters. Worse, if there had been a stampede, people could have died. Were a Police working responsibly? And because did a Police fire rip gas from a non-barricaded areas in Jalan Pudu as well as Petaling Street as well? People were already dispersing as well as starting home.
Why was a Police retaliation so vicious? Why did they turn aggressors? Looking during a videos taken of a little of a arrests they subsequently made, a single can see how vindictively they beat up their quarry, beyond a end of decency.
Perhaps it was a irritation of a rip gas as well as H2O cannons which riled a protestors in to working similar to monsters. Perhaps they were not genuine BERSIH supporters, merely people out to have effect during your convenience they saw an opportunity. Perhaps they were hired thugs. Nonetheless, a military should have acted with restraint.
I'm inclined to think which a people who resorted to assault were hired thugs.
As The Malaysian Insider reported:
About 1,000-odd protestors widespread along Jalan Tun Perak as well as Jalan Raja Laut continued to defy military orders even after a convene finished during 4pm, taunting as well as jeering a group in blue
Amid a chaos, rumours were being widespread which during slightest 4 protesters had died in a melee, with claims which a single was even shot dead, further fuelling a crowd's anger.
This sounds similar to people were out to emanate mischief, especially by spreading fake rumors of deaths. Videos of a Police automobile which crashed nearby Sogo additionally seem to prove which it had been pounded by mischief-makers, together with a single who trampled upon a roof even as it was moving. And afterwards, a automobile was overturned, though for what genuine reason?
Was it not to provide thespian! images for a media which would have BERSIH demeanour bad? Was it not to intimidate a images of a sea of yellow issuing towards Dataran when a convene was during tall tide?
On a night prior to of a rally, a Facebook crony of mine who seemed to know sent a message: "Just a word of warning. There may be 'hired' bouncers sent to Dataran Merdeka this Saturday So only be prepared for that."
A TV station additionally reported which a Bandar Tun Razak branch of PEKIDA (Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia, a Gangster arm of UMNO) had spoken war (perang) upon BERSIH 3.0 as well as warned which a members would go to a convene as well as quarrel it to a end. "We do not care if you have been taken in to a lock-up, you will do what you promised," pronounced a chairman, Ahmad Bastari Muslim.
Do you supplement dual as well as dual as well as come up with four? Whatever it was, which group which pennyless a block is a really small minority. And certainly, a group which pounded a Police automobile constitutes a deviant minority. They should not be authorised to take divided a great which BERSIH 3.0 represents.
And let us not dont think about which when a throng tried to attack a Policemen after their automobile came to a stop, it was PKR's Jingga 13 who stable a cops from being spoiled until a ambulance came to take them away.
If by a conservative estimate, 100,000 people were during a rally, you can attest which during slightest 99,000 were not troublemakers. That's an overwhelming commission of people with great intentions. Why sully a convene since of a couple of bad apples, who competence even have been planted?
In Penang (7,000 participants), Ipoh (4,000), Melaka (3,000), Johor Baru (3,000), Kuching (500), Miri (2,000), Kota Kinabalu (500) as well as alternative vital cities, a protests went upon peacefully. So what does which indicate? Bersih supporters have been not out to emanate violence.
Before a KL rally, an e-mail was sent out upon a do's as well a! s don'ts for a pacific gathering. People were advised not to bring weapons or pointy objects, not even umbrellas. Then upon a day itself, only prior to a convene started, BERSIH 3.0's organizers conducted a briefing as well as reminded a throng massed outward Pasar Seni about a need to maintain assent as well as not retaliate opposite provocation.
The initial irritation came, ironically, from Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL). It denied BERSIH 3.0 a right to reason a sit-down protest during Dataran. It pronounced Dataran was usually for "national events". But if a outrageous partial of a population wants to voice a feelings for something it deems important, which should already constitute a "national event".
Besides, DBKL was not honest in giving which reason; Dataran has been used prior to for non-national events, similar to Nestle's 100th year celebration, OCBC Cycle Malaysia, Barisan National Youth Ride Fest 2012.
Clearly, a Government outsourced a bad-guy purpose to DBKL this time after carrying schooled a lesson from mishandling BERSIH 2.0, as well as this time, DBKL mishandled it. The spiny wire around Dataran was unnecessary; it actually proved to be provocative. So if any one could be blamed for inspiring anger, it would be DBKL.
Let us, however, not be dreaming by all a ugliness which has injured a convene in KL as well as restore due credit to BERSIH 3.0.
It drew Malaysians from all races, all ages, all walks of life, able-bodied as well as otherwise, to an event which a little of a participants have spoken was "for a great of a country's future".
It drew Malaysians in alternative vital Malaysian cities as well as those in 85 cities as well as towns via a world. It gave voice to Malaysians who want electoral reform prior to a 13th general el! ection.< /p>
Let us not cloud a issue. The people have spoken. Will those in management choose to attend or merely harp upon a ugly incidents?
Their preference could decide a destiny of Malaysia.
*The views expressed here have been a personal opinion of a writer.
Related articles
- Bersih Rally: Police had upperhand though during what price to Najib? (infomalaysia.org)
- BERSIH3.0 during Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur Apr 28, 2012 (dinmerican.wordpress.com)
- New York Times' Liz Gooch reports upon BERSIH 3.0 (dinmerican.wordpress.com)
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