Saturday, August 01, 2009

The March For and Against ISA !

Wouldn't it be more interesting if they hold it on 31st August (Independence Day) rather than 1st August?

For more information on ISA, the abbreviation for the draconian law Internal Security Act, one can read this :

CPI Asia : FAQs on ISA

This is a map that I found over the net while searching for information :



Looks like it will be a very big event tomorrow. As usual, whenever such protests happen, police will discourage public to participate, roadblocks will be set in various places in and out of town. The blocks have started even as we speak.

Remember, remember the 10th of November, when the BERSIH yellow wave swept through the streets of KL amidst torrential rain on 10th November 2007?

Perhaps this time around, it will be black (anti) and white (pro).

As far as I can recall, Gerakan Mansuh ISA (anti) had started calling for participation for quite some time. In fact GMI holds annual protests on the ISA matter. I have only heard about Pro-ISA recently. Hmmnnn ...

If there is any truth to the map above, I would say both anti and pro groups will meet somewhere in the middle of the journey.

Who planned to chance upon whom? Whatever that is, I believe everyone should have a chance to voice out.

The biggest opposition party has urged its members to participate, therefore the numbers will be great. I believe human rights activists will be there too.

Somebody said ISA rallies pointless and should not be politicised . I'd say, since only political parties, regardless of which divide, will decide on this matter, the term "politicised" is quite a strange word to apply to this event.

I do not even understand why certain groups are pro-ISA. What is so good about :

1) indefinite imprisonment with periodical internal reviews to release a detainee
2) arrest of any person without the need for trial in certain defined circumstances
3) violation of fundamental human rights
4) having laws of subjective language with terms such as ‘substantial body’, ‘substantial number’, ‘cause to fear’, ‘excite disaffection’, ‘promote feelings of ill-will and hostility’.
5) having potential to abuse the law for certain reasons due to item (4).

I'd ask, "why review? why not totally abolish it?"

It seems that there are more information in jelas.info on the event tomorrow.

No comments: