Public Forum : BERSIH 3.0

Invitation to Public Forum

In conjunction with the recent Bersih 3.0 rally, the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) and the Civil Rights Committee (CRC) of the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall are pleased to invite you to a public forum.

Behind the Barricades: A Critical Analysis of Bersih 3.0

Date: Wednesday, 2 May 2012

Time: 8-10.30pm

Venue: Auditorium, KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall

No.1, Jalan Maharajalela, KL

The speakers are:

·      Syahredzan Johan, Bar Council Constitutional Law Committee chair, on legal issues surrounding the right to assemble and access to detainees

·      E. Nalini, Suaram executive director, on police action and human rights standards on public order policing

·      Masjaliza Hamzah, CIJ executive officer, on treatment of journalists at Bersih 3.0 and the media’s role in reporting on “crisis” situations

·      Boon Kia Meng, educator, activist and participant of the Occupy Dataran movement, on being a protestor and the meaning of protests

The Bersih rally and issues surrounding it have been widely discussed in media and social media platforms and this forum hopes to capture that rich discussion in a face-to-face conversation. Specifically, it will look at various angles – law, media, security and freedom of assembly – to reveal a larger picture of what is unquestionably an important marker in this nation's history.

CIJ and CRC are also hosting this to celebrate the role the media plays in a democracy, in commemoration of World Press Freedom Day on May 3. We hope this forum is one of many occasions for us to come together to process what happened, analyse and learn from our experiences on 28 April 2012.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Thank you,

Liau Kok Fah and Masjaliza Hamzah

Poster