Bersih 3.0

Freshly back to the big city from a nice time on the tropical East Coast, I jumped at a chance to join in the Bersih 3.0 demonstration.  Bersih, which in Bahasa Malaysia means “clean”, is a coalition for free and fair elections and is made up of NGOs with the aim or revising the current electoral system to ensure fair elections in Malaysia.  Some of the demands for clean politics/elections include:

1. Clean the electoral roll
2. Reform postal voting (Malaysians living abroad cannot vote unless military personnel or students)
3. Use of indelible ink
4. A minimum campaign period of 21 days
5. Free and fair access to mainstream media
6. Strengthen public institutions
7. Stop corruption
8. Stop dirty politics

Please take note that everything I write in this post is only a reflection of my own understanding.  Of course the political situation here is much more complicated than I can holistically comprehend after spending only 9 months in the country, so please investigate for yourself to enhance your understanding of my scant attempt at describing this demonstration and the politics behind it.   

Unlike the USA, where the presidential campaign drags on for years, in Malaysia, the ruling party can call an election at anytime and it can take place within a few days!  An election must be called within every 5 year period, but it can be at anytime.  Last year they gave 10 days notice, and that was generous from what my friends described. 

Although the U.S. Embassy warned that American citizens should stay away from the demonstration areas, I couldn’t resist the urge to witness this cultural gathering for myself.  I joined with two Malaysian friends around noon and we walked from my apartment to Pasar Seni (Central Market near the Chinatown area) which was a staging area for participants that would then walk to Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square) for a sit-in demonstration.  The government had refused a request from the organizers to use Merdeka Square, and had offered them a stadium instead. 

Police prepared for any misbehavior.

But the funny thing is that leading up to the Bersih 2.0 demonstration in 2011, the government had in previous talks agreed to allow the demonstration in a stadium, but then as protesters were approaching the stadium, police officers were ordered to disperse them so that they couldn’t even reach the stadium.  More than 1600 people were arrested.

Bersih 3.0 was deemed to be a duduk bantah or “sit-in protest.”  After some fiery speeches to excite the crowd, we began to slowly walk from our location the short distance to the square.  Demonstrators had gathered at several other locations around the city and were walking toward the square at the same time. 

A reflection in a building of demonstators walking toward Independence Square.

When we arrived near the square, they called for everyone to sit down.  We did so, but several times we had to get up and move back as the crowd was so huge that there wasn’t enough room for people in the front to sit down.   From my vantage it is difficult to even make an estimate of how many people there were in the vicinity, and I had no clue as to how many people were on different streets in different directions. 

News source photo of a portion of the crowd.

Enjoying the sit-in.

After a while of peacefully sitting, shouting rally chants, and melting in the hot sun, my companions decided they were hungry and we decided to leave our posts and find some makan (food).  Most restaurants and businesses in the area where closed in anticipation of the rally and so the ones that were open were overly crowded with other hungry demonstrators.  We finally found an open table and as soon as we had filled our tummies, we saw people running.

It didn’t take us long to realize why.  The police had begun to spray tear gas.  We scooted out of there with everyone else and I didn’t feel any effect from the tear gas as we had been on the outskirts of the pulse of gas I suppose.  At that point we started to wander back toward the direction of my apartment, but eventually found it impossible to avoid any tear gas. 

Tear gas being sprayed from the tops of buildings.

Can you see the low flying helicopter assessing the crowds?

What the streets looked like once they began spraying tear gas, quick dispersal.

Apparently some protestors had breached the barricade that was protecting the square (even after strict instructions from the Bersih organizers not to) and the police were taking action to disperse the entire crowd (which now has been estimated as high as 100,000 people or more).  One news agency reported:

[The organizer] told a press conference that the some 250,000 to 300,000 protesters who turned up were “extremely well-behaved and excellent,” until “someone” pushed through the barriers in front of Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) leading to Dataran Merdeka.

We came upon one intersection where the police were using water cannons so we turned back another direction only to find tear gas streaming from the tops of strategically located buildings.  Rushing away from the gas that was stinging our eyes, skin, and throats, we took refuge with many others in a small makan shop (restaurant) until it dispersed.  Washing our eyes with water and eating salt to ease the burning in our throats, we attempted to leave several times but were turned back again by tear gas. 

Hiding from the tear gas in a crowded makan shop.

Eventually, we wandered out hoping to make it to a LRT (light rail) station nearby, only to find out upon our arrival that all the stations in the area had been shut down due to the demonstration.  The police were attempting to disperse the crowd, but then the demonstrators had no way to disperse as the public transportation was suspended.  We eventually found a safe way out of the maze of tear gas and water cannons and walked back toward my apartment. 

I only suffered one battle wound from the experience, and that occurred when we were walking back, haha!  I stepped on a concrete tile on the side walk, it was not secured and it tilted causing me to collapse into a deep hole.  With a gouged knee bleeding more than it should have, I had to wrap my bandana around it to keep it contained the rest of the walk. 

Ouch!

We’ll see how this demonstration goes down in history, or at least how it is reported in the media tomorrow.  For me it was refreshing to experience the multiracial unity among the protestors.  There were Malays, Chinese, and Indians all joining together to stand up for their human rights.  I saw hardly any other Caucasians besides those watching from the roofs of their hostels in Chinatown.

Here is a link to the Associated Press article:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=151572974

Some articles from independent Malaysian news sources:

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/04/28/bersih-condemns-violence-wants-investigation/

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/litee/malaysia/article/bersih-admits-lost-crowd-control-after-police-action/

Here is a play-by-play as reported through information gathered through social media:
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/196320

It’s also suspected that the protestors who breached the barriers and over turned police cars were saboteurs:

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/196343