Ambiga countersues Putrajaya over Bersih rally


Ambiga (right) is disputing Putrajaya's capacity to sue underneath a Peaceful Assembly Act. File pic
KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 Bersih chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan is looking indemnification from Putrajaya for allegedly violating her inherent rights over a Apr twenty-eight electoral remodel rally, in a countersuit filed during a High Court this morning.
The prominent lawyer-activist indicted a Najib administration department of abusing a energy in ordering a military as well as a Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to block a sit-down convene from receiving place in a inhabitant capital, which she pronounced would have been as pacific as those held elsewhere in a country.
Last month, Putrajaya took a rare step of suing Ambiga as well as nine pick Bersih steering cabinet members, as a convene organisers, for indemnification value RM122,000.
"The plaintiff, possibly behaving through a agencies (including a police, DBKL as well as mass media) or otherwise, designedly as well as deliberately took all measures to prevent or frustrate a land of a open by Bersih during Dataran Merdeka upon 28th April," Ambiga pronounced in her matter of counterclaim as well as counterclaim, which was done accessible toThe Malaysian Insider.
She added: "It follows which a sole means for a way in which a open in Kuala Lumpur upon 28th Apr unfolded was due to a conduct of a police, for which a plaintiff, as employer, is probable in law."
Ambiga pronounced a newly-enforced Peaceful Assembly Act does not "expressly or impliedly" empower a sovereign government to sue for indemnification to open skill as it is "not a partial of of a class of persons intended to be protected underneath a Act".
She additionally pronounced a demonstrators who took partial in a convene did so as "free agents" as well as which ! neither she nor Bersih as a organisers were probable for events which happened after she had announced it over during 2.40pm as well as asked them to disperse.
Conversely, a military had a "positive avocation in law" to safeguard which lawful assemblies could take place, which she indicted them of having failed.
"The military had designedly as well as deliberately started regulating H2O cannons, banishment rip gas as well as afterwards taunting, derisive as well as inspiring a people present as well as carrying out pick acts of intimidation as well as assault opposite persons who were in a routine of dispersing," she pronounced in her statement.
The flashy former Bar Council boss forked out which a authorities had been aware of Bersih's devise from early upon to reason a pacific open sit-down proof during a city's ancestral Dataran Merdeka, based upon a choosing watchdog's press releases upon Apr 5 as well as serve central letters to a mayor as well as military antiquated Apr sixteen more than a week prior to a event.
She forked out which DBKL had deserted Bersih's ask for Dataran Merdeka though charity an pick venue, observant which a preference ran counter to a sovereign territory's internal government by-laws.
DBKL's pierce to offer Stadium Merdeka Bersih's venue of choice for a Jul 9 convene final year as an pick was usually done during a open upon Apr 25, three days prior to a demonstration, she said.
Ambiga pronounced Bersih had to spin it down due to a "extremely short notice".
"However, Bersih done it transparent (and had during all times done it clear) which they were ready to co-operate with a authorities to safeguard a pacific assembly.
"At no time did possibly a military or DBKL call for a open to plead a logistics of a assembly," she pronounced in her statement.
The military had additionally deserted Bersih's bid to lift out a open though providing a reason, Ambiga said, a! dding wh ich it was "wrong in law".
"Although it was open knowledge by during slightest 5th Apr which Bersih was land an open in Kuala Lumpur upon 28th April, a police, behaving in bad faith as well as wrongfully, done a application for a pronounced Magistrate's order upon an ex-parte basis a mere dual days prior to a open as well as served usually a single day prior to a assembly, thereby denying a First Defendant an event of opposing a extenuation of a pronounced Order or requesting to set it aside."
She pronounced a military additionally had no "objective reasons" to arrange a large force in a city upon a day of a convene as well as "no authorised grounds" to make barbed-wire barricades encircling Dataran Merdeka to prevent any one from accessing a open square.
Ambiga is additionally challenging open law's constitutionality, privately Section 6, for restricting her right to assemble.
The government filed a suit opposite Ambiga final May twenty-three underneath Section 6(2)(g) of a law, which states which organisers contingency "ensure which a open will not discredit illness or means repairs to skill or a environment."
"The plaintiff charges which a defendants unsuccessful to lift out their orthodox responsibility when a open went out of carry out as well as turned into a riot, causing repairs to vehicles owned by a plaintiff," a command said.
The government's matter of claims lists 15 vehicles, often belonging to a police, which had to be repaired during a price of RM122,000.
The government additionally wants ubiquitous damages, seductiveness as well as a declaration which Bersih breached Section 6(2)(g) of a open law.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had pronounced when tabling a law in Parliament final year which it would be "revolutionary" as well as allow Malaysians to experience in open gatherings "in accordance with general norms."
The box is set for mention upon June 13 prio! r to Kua la Lumpur High Court judge Justice Prasad Sandosham Abraham.
The Apr twenty-eight convene which saw tens of thousands accumulate during six opposite locations prior to streamer to Dataran Merdeka was pacific until about 2.30pm when Ambiga asked a crowd to disperse.
But her call was not listened by many of a crowd who persisted around a ancestral square, which a courts had already barred to a open over a weekend.
Just prior to 3pm, a little protestors breached a barricade surrounding a landmark, leading military to sunder a crowd with rip gas as well as H2O cannons.
Police afterwards continued to pursue a rally-goers down several streets amid pell-mell scenes which saw assault from both sides over a next 4 hours.
Several dozen demonstrators have claimed which they were assaulted by groups of over 10 policemen during a time as well as visible justification appears to back their explain though military additionally point to assault from rally-goers who additionally pounded a military car.
The military automobile afterwards crashed into a office building prior to a little protestors flipped it upon a side.
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