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Malaysian activists, government clash over rally venue
Associated Press - July 7, 2011
The dispute over the venue sparked new worries of a clash between protesters and police, who recently detained some 200 people linked to Saturday's demonstration amid escalating political tensions.
On Tuesday, the activists agreed to a government offer for them to rally at a stadium instead of marching through the streets after rare mediation by the king. They picked Merdeka Stadium in downtown Kuala Lumpur but the government told them to use stadiums in opposition-ruled states instead, citing safety issues.
The Bersih coalition organizing the rally accused the government of reneging on its offer. In a statement late Wednesday it vowed to stick to Merdeka Stadium, where it hopes to draw 100,000 people for the country's largest political rally in four years to demand changes in election laws to curb fraud in national polls widely expected next year.
"Our determination to exercise our constitutional right to gather peacefully for a just and reasonable cause is unwavering," said Bersih, a coalition of more than 60 civic groups. "We are coming, we will be peaceful and together, we will build a better Malaysia," it said.
Bersih is supported by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's three-party alliance. The opposition has long accused the ruling coalition of manipulating election results to maintain its nearly 54-year rule, but the government says current election laws are fair. Authorities have accused Anwar of endorsing the protest to undermine the government.
The mandate of the current National Front-led government expires in mid-2013 but many analysts expect Prime Minister Najib Razak to hold elections next year amid signs that the opposition has lost momentum since the 2008 polls, when Anwar's alliance seized more than one-third of the seats in Parliament in the government's worst electoral setback.
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