2007 Terengganu riot

Last updated

2007 Terengganu riot
2007 Batu Buruk riot
Date8 September 2007
Location
Batu Buruk, Terengganu, Malaysia
StatusHeld
Parties
Casualties and losses
24 arrested
+2 wounded

The 2007 Terengganu riot was an incident on 8 September 2007 in Terengganu, Malaysia where a peaceful rally became violent after intervention by the Malaysian police. The police fired water cannons, tear gas, and live ammunition at the rally participants, and two protestors were injured from the police's gunshots. Following the riot, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia announced that they would open inquiries probing into the events of that night.

Contents

Background

According to the Public Order Ordinance and the Police Act in the Constitution of Malaysia, a permit is required for any public assembly of five or more persons. [1] At the end of August 2007, a coalition of non-governmental organisations called Bersih applied for a permit from the police to organise a rally on 8 September at 9 pm in Batu Buruk, Terengganu. [2] [3] They said that the purpose of their rally was a campaign for electoral reforms. [4] Their application was denied on 6 September by the police who said that the event organisers had failed to provide sufficient information about how they were going to handle traffic and security issues. [3] However, a large group of people still gathered on 8 September. Most of the people were supporters of the political party, the Malaysian Islamic Party. [2]

Rally incidents

During the rally, police asked the demonstrators to disperse and end the rally over a span of five warnings, but they refused. [1] [3] After the crowd ignored the police's final warning which included arrest threats, the police moved in to disperse the crowd. The crowd responded to the police's action by throwing stones and small rocks at them. These actions marked the beginning of the riot. [3] Consequently, riot police from the Federal Reserve Unit were deployed, and at about 10:30 pm, they began to spray the crowd with chemical-laced water cannons and tear gas. The police also began to arrest the rioters. [3] [4] [5]

At 11:45 pm, a police officer fired four live rounds from his pistol, and the bullets from his shots hit two members of the Malaysian Islamic Party. Suwandi Abdul Ghani was injured in the chest, and Muhamad Azman Aziz was injured in the neck. They survived the gunshots and were brought to the hospital, where Suwandi had to have a bullet removed from his right lung. [3] [5] [6] [7] [8] Meanwhile, the riot police continued to fire water cannons and tear gas at the crowd throwing objects at them until past midnight, and by 12:30 am on 9 September, the police had already arrested 13 people, including a journalist. [3] [5] The riot ended not long after that, with the police beginning to leave at 1 am. [3]

Aftermath

By 9 September 24 people who were at the riot had been arrested. [5] In the days that followed the riot, there were pictures published of rioters burning the national flag. It was claimed that police officers had taken pictures of the flag being burnt, and subsequently, provided those pictures to a news agency. These claims were denied by the Terengganu police chief, Ayub Yaakob. There were also claims that news organisations were not allow to enter the riot location, and some people had their cameras confiscated by the police. The rally organisers said that there were undercover police in the crowd who were acting as inciting agents. [1] The Terengganu state government estimated that the damages caused during the riot amounted to a total of RM1 million. [3]

According to the police, the officer who had fired the gunshots had done so in self-defence. [1] [5] They said that he had been surrounded by a group of rioters who were physically harming him. [3] However, the event organisers said that the police's action was unprovoked. [9] On 9 December, the two gunshot victims were arrested and charged with participating in an unlawful gathering, as well as intentionally causing injury to a police officer. When they appeared in court for the hearing of their charges, they were denied bail. [8]

On 13 September, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia announced that they would conduct a preliminary fact-finding mission on 19 September to find out what really happened on the night of the riot. [3] Their fact-finding mission reported that during the riot, there were police brutality and human rights violations. [9] However, on 9 October, the Human Rights Commission announced that they would not be holding a further public inquiry due to the ongoing court proceedings. [10] Supporters of the planned rally expressed their disappointment and questioned the Human Rights Commission's decision. [9] On 15 November, the Human Rights Commission announced that they would be holding the public inquiry on 11–15 December to further investigate the police's use of live ammunition since there were no ongoing court proceedings about it. [11] On 13 December, the Human Rights Commission cancelled the public inquiry due to the ongoing court proceedings of the two gunshot victims who had been charged at the Sessions Court of Kuala Terengganu on 9 December for injuring a police officer. [12]

Related Research Articles

The protection of basic human rights is enshrined in Constitution of Malaysia. These include liberty of the person and prohibition of slavery and forced labour. At the national level, legislative measures that exist to prevent human rights violations and abuses can be found in acts and laws on issues that either have a human rights component or relate to certain groups of society whose rights may be at risk of being violated. Human rights groups are generally critical of the Malaysian government and the Royal Malaysia Police.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human Rights Commission of Malaysia</span> National human rights institution

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia better known by its acronym SUHAKAM is the national human rights institution (NHRI) of Malaysia. It was established by the Malaysian Parliament under the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Act 1999, Act 597, and began its work in April 2000. Its mandate is to promote human rights education, advise on legislation and policy, and conduct investigations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 in Malaysia</span>

This article lists important figures and events in Malaysian public affairs during the year 2007, together with births and deaths of notable Malaysians. 2007 marked 50 years of Malaysian independence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HINDRAF</span> Political party in Malaysia

Hindu Rights Action Force, better known by its acronym HINDRAF ; is a Malaysian Hindu-activist right-wing non-governmental organisation (NGO) with its renowned slogan of Makkal Sakti or Kuasa Rakyat translated as People's Power. This organisation began as a coalition of 30 Hindu NGOs committed to the preservation of Hindu community rights and heritage in a multiracial Malaysia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 Bersih rally</span> Anti-corruption protest in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The 2007 Bersih rally was a rally held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 10 November 2007. The aim of this walk was to campaign for electoral reform. It was precipitated by allegations of corruption and discrepancies in the Malaysian election system that heavily favour the ruling political party, Barisan Nasional, which had been in power since Malaysia achieved its independence in 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bersih</span> Group of Malaysian non-governmental organisations

The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections or Bersih is a coalition of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which seeks to reform the current electoral system in Malaysia to improve its democracy by ensuring free, clean and fair elections among other reforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 HINDRAF rally</span>

The 2007 HINDRAF rally was a rally held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 25 November 2007. The rally organiser, the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF), had called the protest over alleged discriminatory policies which favour ethnic Malays. The rally was the second such street protest after the 2007 Bersih rally in Kuala Lumpur on 10 November 2007. The rally started when a crowd estimated to be between 5,000 and 30,000 people gathered outside the Petronas Twin Towers at midnight, early Sunday morning.

Chua Tian Chang, better known as Tian Chua, is a Malaysian politician who served as Special Advisor to the Minister of Works from March 2019 to February 2020 and Member of Parliament (MP) for Batu from March 2008 to May 2018. He is an independent and was a member of the People's Justice Party (PKR), a component party of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) and formerly Pakatan Rakyat (PR) as well as Barisan Alternatif (BA) coalitions. He was also a member of the Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM). He served as Vice-President of PKR from the founding of PKR in April 1999 to July 2022 and Information Chief of PKR from April 2004 to March 2008 and Division Chief of Batu of PKR before July 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Reserve Unit</span> Military unit

The Federal Reserve Unit, or better known by the abbreviation as FRU, is a riot control force and a paramilitary special response team that can be deployed at any time to engage in any emergency or public unrest in Malaysia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teoh Beng Hock</span> Malaysian journalist, political aide and anti-corruption activist; died suspiciously in 2009

Teoh Beng Hock was a Chinese Malaysian journalist and political aide to Ean Yong Hian Wah, a member of the Selangor state legislative assembly and state executive council. On 15 July 2009, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) took Teoh into custody for questioning about allegations of corruption. Teoh was found dead the next morning on the rooftop of a building adjacent to the MACC offices. Pakatan Rakyat leaders and a number of federal government officials called for a Royal Commission of inquiry into Teoh's death.

The Cow head protests were held in front of the Selangor state government headquarters at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Building, Shah Alam, Malaysia on 28 August 2009. The protest was called so because the act of a few participants who brought along a cow head, which they later desecrated. The cow is considered a sacred animal to Hindus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bersih 2.0 rally</span> 2011 demonstration against electoral fraud and corruption in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Bersih 2.0 rally was a demonstration in Kuala Lumpur held on 9 July 2011 as a follow-up to the 2007 Bersih rally. The rally, organised by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih), was supported by Pakatan Rakyat, the coalition of the three largest opposition parties in Malaysia, but was deemed illegal by the government. Bersih, chaired by former president of the Bar Council Ambiga Sreenevasan, were pushing the Election Commission of Malaysia (EC) to ensure free and fair elections in Malaysia. It demanded that the EC clean up the electoral roll, reform postal voting, use indelible ink, introduce a minimum 21-day campaign period, allow all parties free access to the media, and put an end to electoral fraud.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bersih 3.0 rally</span> Malaysian democratic protest

The Bersih 3.0 rally was the largest democratic protest in Malaysia. This rally was organised as a follow-up to the 2011 Bersih rally and the 2007 Bersih rally. The rally, organised by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih), was supported by Pakatan Rakyat, the coalition of the three largest opposition parties in Malaysia along with other small political parties like Parti Sosialis Malaysia and social organisations such as Malaysian Trades Union Congress, Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) and Malaysian Bar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People's Uprising rally</span> 2013 protest in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The People's Uprising rally or Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat (Malay) was a rally that was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 12 January 2013. The rally was held by various Malaysian opposition-friendly non-governmental organisations and opposition parties in opposition to many of the government policies and decisions that have been claimed by left-wing supporters to be unfair and affecting the Malaysian populace. The main venue that the organisers have chosen for the rally is Stadium Merdeka. The event was also known as the KL 112 rally, where the numbers indicate the date of the event.

The May Day Anti-GST Rally was a rally held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on May 1, 2015. The rally was organised by a coalition of non-governmental organisations, including Oppressed People's Network, Parti Sosialis Malaysia, Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia, and Asalkan Bukan UMNO among others, and was supported by the opposition Pakatan Rakyat. The rally, which coincided with International Workers' Day, was held in response to the Malaysian government's rollout of the goods and services tax from April 1, 2015. The rally saw participants march from various points in Kuala Lumpur to their eventual destination, Kuala Lumpur City Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bersih 4 rally</span>

The Bersih 4.0 rally was a series of planned rallies carried out on 29 to 30 August 2015 in major cities in Malaysia, namely Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching. There were subsequent rallies in over 70 cities around the world in support of the main rallies in Malaysia. The rallies were organised by The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections or Bersih a coalition of non-government organisations which seeks to reform the current electoral system in Malaysia to ensure free, clean and fair elections. The rallies were being carried out with the objective to calling for clean and transparent governance in Malaysia as well as strengthening the parliamentary democracy system. The rallies are a followup to similar rallies that were carried out in 2007, 2011 and 2012. 30 August is the day before National Day which is on 31 August.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bersih 5 rally</span>

The Bersih 5 rally was a peaceful democratic protest in Malaysia, supported by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih), which took place on 19 November 2016. The rally was held calling for a new and cleaner electoral system in Malaysia. A Bersih convoy was also launched and targeted all parts of Malaysia to raise awareness of the current democratic problems nationwide.

Raymond Koh Keng Joo is a Christian pastor from Malaysia who was abducted by the Royal Malaysia Police on 13 February 2017. As of December 2023, Koh is still missing.

Amri Che Mat is a Malaysian social activist from Perlis state, Malaysia, who was abducted on 24 November 2016. He was one of a number of social activists who have gone missing during the same time period, including pastors Raymond Koh and Joshua Hilmy, the latter of whom disappeared along with his wife, Ruth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sri Maha Mariamman Temple riot</span> 2018 riot in Selangor, Malaysia

The 2018 Sri Maha Mariamman Temple riot was a riot incident that occurred over two days, from November 26 to 27, 2018, at the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple site and the surrounding area at USJ 25, Subang Jaya, Petaling, Selangor. The riot stemmed from a misunderstanding between the temple and the developer, One City Development Sdn. Bhd., regarding the transfer of the temple. As a result, the riot incident caused damage to public property and the death of a firefighter, Muhammad Adib bin Mohd Kassim. The riots received public attention and widespread coverage in the Malaysian mass media.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Department of State, United States (August 2008). Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2007: Reported Submitted to the Committee on Foreign Affairs U.S. House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations U.S. Senate (Report). Vol. 1.
  2. 1 2 Lee, Hock Guan (2008). "MALAYSIA IN 2007: Abdullah Administration under Siege". Southeast Asian Affairs: 187–206. JSTOR   27913359.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Hong, Bede (18 September 2007). "Eight hours of the Batu Buruk Riot". Malaysiakini. Archived from the original on 8 June 2019. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  4. 1 2 Ford, Michele (2013). Social Activism in Southeast Asia. New York: Routledge. p. 29. ISBN   9780415523554. OCLC   759915409.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Authorities violently shut down road show on electoral reform, restrict media coverage of the incident". IFEX. 18 September 2007. Archived from the original on 8 June 2019. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  6. ↑ Mohd Sani, Mohd Azizuddin (2009). The Public Sphere and Media Politics in Malaysia. Newcastle, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 203. ISBN   9781443803601.
  7. ↑ Tajuddin, Azlan (2012). Malaysia in the World Economy (1824-2011): Capitalism, Ethnic Divisions, and "Managed" Democracy. Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books. p. 189. ISBN   9780739171974. OCLC   834136797.
  8. 1 2 "Bail Denied for Duo in Batu Buruk Riot". The Star Online. 31 December 2007. Archived from the original on 8 June 2019. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  9. 1 2 3 "Batu Buruk Riot: 'No Inquiry' Decision Derided". Malaysiakini. 10 October 2007. Archived from the original on 8 June 2019. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  10. ↑ Ong, Andrew (9 October 2017). "Batu Buruk riot: No Suhakam public inquiry". Malaysiakini. Archived from the original on 8 June 2019. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  11. ↑ "Inquiry into Batu Buruk Riot". The Star Online. 15 November 2007. Archived from the original on 8 June 2019. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  12. ↑ "Suhakam batal siasatan awam rusuhan Batu Buruk". Malaysiakini. 13 December 2007. Archived from the original on 5 February 2008. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.