Bar to debate 12 resolutions on Bersih 3.0

The Bar Council's May 11 extraordinary general meeting (EGM) following last Saturday's crackdown on Bersih 3.0 is expected to debate a total of 12 motions that would include police conduct and remedy for those assaulted that day.

In a circular published late last night, listed one of the motions for debate as condemning the excessive force used by police and its tactics and behaviour in dispersing the crowd as well "unwarranted arrests" and "unlawful confiscation" of recording devices.

The other resolutions concerning the Bersih 3.0 rally which took place on April 28 include:

• Call on the police to identify errant personnel and surrender them for prosecution,

• Renew calls for an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission,

• Call for a public apology from the Home Minister and Inspector-General of Police for the police tactics in dispersing the crowd,

• Call for a public apology from the Home Minister and inspector-general of police for  assault cases perpetrated by the force,

           Call for just compensation

• Call for an independent commission to outline police conduct in managing public assemblies and the use of lethal and non-lethal force according to international standards;

• Call on the government to pay just compensation to those assaulted on protest day,

• Condemning the police action of denying legal representation to those arrested,

• To look into ways of assisting those wronged during the rally to pursue claims against the relevant parties for just compensation,

• Call on government to prevent crimes against media professionals and to ensure their safety,

• Call on The Kuala Lumpur City Hall to uphold freedom of assembly including at Dataran Merdeka and,

• Reaffirm the right to public assemblies exercised in a responsible manner.

The EGM would require a quorum of 500 members to allow the resolutions to be debated and subsequently put to a vote.

The Bar had deployed a 78-member monitoring team during the rally and subsequently released an interim report on Tuesday.

The report said police brutality against protesters during Bersih 3.0 had worsened despite several police shortcomings that were highlighted during the last Bersih rally.