Forty-four years ago, on the college campus of Kent State in Ohio, four students were killed by rifle fire from the Ohio National Guard while protesting America’s expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia. Ten days after Kent State, two students, James Earl Green and Phillip Lafayette Gibbs, were killed on the campus of Jackson State University by the Mississippi State Police, also for protesting the Vietnam War.
The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, commonly known as the June Fourth Incident were student-led demonstrations in Beijing which took place in the spring of 1989 and received broad support from city residents. The protests were forcibly suppressed by hardline leaders who ordered the military to enforce martial law in Beijing. The crackdown became known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre as troops with assault rifles and tanks inflicted casualties on unarmed civilians trying to block the military's advance towards Tiananmen Square in the heart of Beijing, which student demonstrators had occupied for seven weeks.
Several hundred civilians were shot dead by the Chinese army during the bloody military operation to crush the protest. Demonstrators, mainly students, refused to move until their demands for democratic reform were met. As the days passed, millions of people from all walks of life joined in, angered by widespread corruption and calling for democracy.
Several hundred civilians were shot dead by the Chinese army during the bloody military operation to crush the protest. Demonstrators, mainly students, refused to move until their demands for democratic reform were met. As the days passed, millions of people from all walks of life joined in, angered by widespread corruption and calling for democracy.
And now in Malaysia we see the beginnings of widespread student protest as sedition charges are laid against law professor Dr Azmi Sharom following prosecution, on the same charges, being laid against opposition leaders, activists and academicians - the late Karpal Singh, David Orok (the Sabah politician prosecuted for allegedly insulting Islam and Prophet Muhammad on Facebook), Khalid Samad, R.S.N. Rayer, Haris Ibrahim, Adam Adli, Tian Chua, Rafizi Ramli, N Surendran, Teresa Kok, Susan Leone and Abdullah Zaik Abdul Rahamn, the President of Ikatan Muslimah Malaysia (Isma).
On September 5, Muhammad Safwan Anang, a former chairperson of Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia, (SMM) was found guilty of sedition and sentenced to 10 months’ jail over a speech delivered on May 13 last year.
On September 5, Muhammad Safwan Anang, a former chairperson of Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia, (SMM) was found guilty of sedition and sentenced to 10 months’ jail over a speech delivered on May 13 last year.
The Malaysian Bar will hold an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on September 19 to debate resolutions on the Sedition Act 1948.
There will be hartal (protest) organised by Universiti Malaya students to show solidarity with Azmi.
What can we do?
What should we do?
What must we do?
Are these arrests simply the BN government's way of letting us know that they are the rulers of this nation of ours and that they will not brook dissent and protests by anyone that seeks out to upset the present status quo?
Or do these protests signal the start of a wave of student protests supported by the opposition and the Rakyat against an increasingly belligerent and repressive government?
The jury is still out on that.
If you speak to people around you, you will recognize that there is a palpable sense of rising anger and disgust that what has long been promised by Najib Razak before and during the last general election - the abolition of these repressive acts that draws upon sedition as a "one size fit all" reason to eliminate opposition to their rule - have been too long in coming.
Many are saying enough. Many are no longer satisfied at doing nothing about their demand for change. Many are looking for ways and means and for leaders to force this BN government to change its ways.
If you speak to people around you, you will recognize that there is a palpable sense of rising anger and disgust that what has long been promised by Najib Razak before and during the last general election - the abolition of these repressive acts that draws upon sedition as a "one size fit all" reason to eliminate opposition to their rule - have been too long in coming.
Many are saying enough. Many are no longer satisfied at doing nothing about their demand for change. Many are looking for ways and means and for leaders to force this BN government to change its ways.
The wave of arrests for sedition in these recent months indicates that the BN government has found the political will to smother protests and dissents.
It could be that the Prime Minister is reacting to pressure from within his BN coalition to impose his authority and the authority of the BN government over an increasingly defiant population who have already registered their intent to overthrow the present regime by the mandate they gave the opposition in the last general election.
It could be that the over zealous AG and PDRM are second guessing their political masters intent to eliminate the threat of the opposition by any means. If so then Najib should do something to stop this wave of arrests and tell PDRM and the AG that the people must be left free to protest if they so desire to do so.
It could be a knee jerk reaction to the troubles in Selangor - an excuse to throw their weight around and show us all who is in charge of Malaysia and somehow engineer a change of political balance towards BN in Selangor.
Whatever the reasons for all this happening - these wave of arrests against sedition must be stopped before peaceful activism becomes a determined push by the people of Malaysia against authority and the government that will result in the chaos and deaths we have seen happened in other parts of the world when students and the general public come together to seek what is their right - democracy and freedom.
We hope that the voice of reasons within our people and this BN government will prevail.
They must prevail because failure is NOT an option for us to contemplate.
Not when 51% of the population have already voted for change in the last general election.
Not when there are elements within the government, the Armed Forces, PDRM, UMNO and its coalition partners who are already clamoring for change from within their own entities.
Not when our people will need only the slightest of reasons or provocation to come out onto the streets to protest and demonstrate to the powers that be that the time for change is now!
Not at the next general election, not in the near future....but NOW because these dissent and protests are moving at a fast pace towards their objectives of freedom and democracy...possibly too fast and too determined to be stopped in the not too distant future.
This BN government continue these arrests at the risks of giving reasons for students and the general public to come together and finish off what they started at the last general election...the taking of political power from this Umno led Barisan Nasional Coalition so that democracy and freedom for the individual in making life choices can be allowed to grow and flourished in our nation.
Anything else is no longer a credible option given the times that we now live in.
They must prevail because failure is NOT an option for us to contemplate.
Not when 51% of the population have already voted for change in the last general election.
Not when there are elements within the government, the Armed Forces, PDRM, UMNO and its coalition partners who are already clamoring for change from within their own entities.
Not when our people will need only the slightest of reasons or provocation to come out onto the streets to protest and demonstrate to the powers that be that the time for change is now!
Not at the next general election, not in the near future....but NOW because these dissent and protests are moving at a fast pace towards their objectives of freedom and democracy...possibly too fast and too determined to be stopped in the not too distant future.
This BN government continue these arrests at the risks of giving reasons for students and the general public to come together and finish off what they started at the last general election...the taking of political power from this Umno led Barisan Nasional Coalition so that democracy and freedom for the individual in making life choices can be allowed to grow and flourished in our nation.
Anything else is no longer a credible option given the times that we now live in.
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