Saturday, August 13, 2011

malaysiakini: Big difference between Bersih and London riots.... by Marion Tharsis


Big difference between Bersih and London riots
Marion Tharsis
Aug 13, 11 5:41pm
The recent London riots and looting is totally a different situation from the Bersih 2.0 gathering on July 9, because one is violent in nature while the other was a peaceful expression against an electoral system that has shown so much of ambiguity and suspicious handling over a long period of time.

Bersih neither had any violent inclinations nor ulterior motive to put the country in disarray and turmoil. Bersih was blown out of proportion by certain groups to make it look like an extremist movement out to create chaos and trouble.

Therefore, comparing what happened in London to that of Bersih's peaceful march for electoral reforms is like comparing an apple to an orange. It does not take an expert to analyse both the situations and conclude that one was purely peaceful in nature while the other had evil and destructive intentions to capitalise on a police shooting incident. 

Our leaders are always seen to be quick to seek some kind of absolution and justification for their actions by making statements to intensify any given local situation.

The Bersih supporters did not throw missiles at the police on guard or riot or loot for that matter but in return the supporters were literally attacked by law enforcers with water cannons and tear gas, All these unnecessary use of force for a peaceful march to hand-over a petition to the king? 

Most right thinking Malaysians can see the difference between the two situations and are not easily swayed to accept the authorities' mostly jagged analysis and explanations.

As general election draws closer, many attempts to coax, confuse and mislead the public by both sides, can occur at an accelerated pace. Thus one has to be cautious about falling into their game of chance and opportune.

We want people to lead the country with wisdom, justice and fairness to all. We do not want people who use the given power to undermine and persecute the public at the slightest opportunity. We want leaders who lead from the front and not from the rear.

We want a prime minister who takes control and accepts that faults can and do occur and not a Prime Minister who lets his subordinates to do the talking and take individual actions according to their own whims and fancies. 

Free and clean election is our prerogative and it is one of the fundamental principles of a genuine democratic process.

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