May Day celebrations at the Kuala Lumpur City Centre were aborted today after 17 people including two women and key organisers were allegedly attacked by police before being arrested for ‘illegal assembly’ while taking part in a peace walk.

Among those held were Suaram coordinator S Arutchelvam, 35, Parti Sosialis Malaysia pro tem president Dr Nasir Mohd Hashim, 56, vice-president Dr D Jeyakumar, 46, Community Development Centre members V Selvam 41, and Seevan Doraisamy, 24.

The two women arrested were social activist Lee Siew Hwa, 33, and PSM member R Manorani, 46.

According to eyewitnesses, another activist, R Venggaut, 27, was beaten by police and immediately placed in a lock-up, his whereabouts unknown.

They were leading some 150 workers and supporters on a peace walk from Chow Kit Road to KLCC, where some 1,500 participants had been expected for the celebrations.

Without warning

When met at the police station, Arutchelvam said that the group were stopped in their tracks after walking for some 1.5km, when a group of police officers “charged the crowd without warning or provocation”.

“Officer in charge of Police District (Dang Wangi) OCPD Bakri Zinin led the attacks, personally shoving and assaulting negotiators at the front. Many workers were hurt when police officers grabbed banners, clothes and leaflets,” he told malaysiakini.

Following the pandemonium, the organisers tried to herd the people to safety onto buses parked nearby but were initially stopped by police. An hour later, the buses were allowed to proceed, but negotiators were arrested while trying to help people onto the buses, he added.

Protesting the unwarranted behaviour of the police today, Arutchelvan said, “May Day is a day of solidarity for workers, recognised even by the state. The police action mocks fundamental rights of workers to assemble peacefully.”

A pantomime show, speeches by workers’ representatives and an announcement of a workers’ declaration were among the activities that had been planned for today at the pleasant environs of KLCC, arguably the country’s most visible tribute to labour.

Although statements from all 17 arrested have been recorded at the Dang Wangi police station, all are being remanded overnight — the men at Dang Wangi police lock-up, women at Wangsa Maju — and are expected to be released on police bail at 9am tomorrow.

Since last year, the authorities have come down hard on such democratic expressions and gatherings, such as by banning ceramah (political talks).

Call to Suhakam

Meanwhile, in an immediate response, DAP condemned the arrest and high-handed police action at the May Day gathering.

The party’s national chairperson Lim Kit Siang called on Malaysian Human Rights Commission chairperson Abu Talib Othman to institute a public inquiry into the alleged police “abuses of human rights”.

“This is in fact the first test case for the new Suhakam chairperson and the second-term Suhakam appointed last week as to whether they will discharge their statutory powers and responsibilities to protect and promote human rights.

“[Or it can reveal] whether they have a new policy of eyes that see not, ears that hear not and mouths that speak not about human rights violations,” he said.

ASP Bakri was unavailable for comment.

Others remanded are:

Shaharuddin Adnan, 25
Abdul Rahman Abdul Aziz, 51
M Ravichandran, 32
S Sevamani, 24
S Eswaran, 35
V Nathan, 30
A Thevidran, 30
Choo Shin chei, 25

More news and picture at HarakahDaily and MalaysiaKini