The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) today said the alleged
heavy-handedness of police on media personnel during the Bersih 3.0
rally raises questions on the police’s claimed restraint and
professional conduct.
As such general-secretary V Anbalagan (right)
called on inspector-general of police Ismail Omar to explain why
journalists were apparently targetted during yesterday’s rally.
“Media
workers could be identified by their press tags...(so) why were they
targeted yesterday? Is it to confiscate photos or footage which would
have put (the police) in a very bad light?” he asked.
Speaking to Malaysiakini,
he added that media personnel were carrying out their duties to
“provide news coverage of an event which was closely followed by the
public yesterday”.
NUJ also urged all media personnel who were
roughed up, either by police or the public, and had their property
harmed or seized, to lodge police reports.
Meanwhile, PKR has
slammed the prime minister for “unprecedented” attacks and arrests of
journalists covering the Bersih 3.0 rally yesterday.
“ It is clear that the press were systematically and deliberately targeted by the police force.
“Such
coordinated and sustained attacks could not have been carried out
without orders from the police leadership and the Home Ministry,” said
PKR vice-president N Surendran (left) in a statement today.
“Prime Minister Najib and his government must take full responsibilty for the criminal acts against the press,” he added.
Yesterday Malaysiakini journalist Koh Jun Lin was arrested along with several other members of the press while covering the rally at Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur.
Koh's
memory card containg photographs of the rally were confiscated, while
another photographer said police destroyed his memory card after he
refused to delete photographs of a melee.
Do
you have photographs or video clips depicting police brutality during
Bersih 3.0? Let us help you share them with Malaysiakini readers.
Contact us here: photo@malaysiakini.com
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