DAP condemns the new arrests by BN of more PKR and DAP leaders after the Bersih 5 rally yesterday, when the Bersih 5 ended peacefully without any violence nor bloodshed. Bersih 5 was a strong statement demanding clean elections, clean government and clean leaders free from corruption and RM4.2 billion donations in their personal bank accounts.
More importantly, Bersih 5 was a triumph for Malaysians from all races and backgrounds, that displayed their maturity and love for democracy by fully exercising their constitutional right to assemble to save Malaysia with courage, determination and peacefully.
The arrests ordered by BN are high-handed, unwarranted and arbitrary, when there was no violence, and the Bersih 5’s mass rally yesterday ended peacefully. This is clearly politically motivated against the opposition parties to distract attention and hide the failure of BN to prevent the Bersih 5 rally from gathering peacefully with threats of violence from UMNO’s red shirts.
DAP questions why Bersih and opposition leaders were arrested at all when we preached peaceful gatherings not violence. In fact why were fewer leaders of UMNO’s red shirts arrested when they had threatened violence and even bloodshed? DAP calls for the immediate release of all Bersih and opposition leaders as well as withdrawal of all charges when the Bersih 5 mass rally passed without incident.