Today, 10 December, 2007 is International Human Rights Day celebrated all over the world. Every year, the Malaysia Bar had always held a peaceful Walk for Human Rights to celebrate the event. It had always been peaceful, caused no disruption to traffic and caused no one any harm. This year, the Malaysia Bar Council decided to have a 2.5 kilometre march in Kuala Lumpur (People’s Freedom Walk) on Sunday, 9 December, 2007, but was asked to apply for a police permit. The Bar Council felt it an affront to have to apply for a police permit for a peaceful event as the right to free speech, free expression and free assembly is enshrined in the Constitution. They decided to cancel the Walk instead. However, a group of determined lawyers decided to go ahead anyway and invited the public to join in. A group of lawyers plus supporters gathered in front of the Sogo department store in the normally congested Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman starting from 8am (it was early Sunday, so the road was practically free of traffic) in the presence of many police officers as well as a helicopter flying overhead.
The walk started peacefully at around 8.45am I think. Before the participants could reach their destination, the Malaysia Bar headquarter, five prominent lawyers and two arrested other demonstrators were arrested, but the march went on. Later, Edmund Bon, the Bar's Human Rights Committee Chairman was also arrested at the Bar's own private premises.
This is a candlelight vigil in protest against the violation of Human Rights in Malaysia and at the same time also in support for those citizens of other countries where human rights are violated too:
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| photo with kind permission of Haris Ibrahim |
Later the same night, there was another peaceful candlelight vigil at Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square) in protest against the arrests. I will upload the photo later.
If you would like to lend your support to human rights for citizens of Malaysia as well as the rest of the world, I hope you will email us and attach a photo of your version of your candlelight vigil to
add a message if you wish, and we will do the rest.
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