On 28th August (Friday), over dozen police with automatic weapons and K-9 unit attack Rumah Api (social center/house project in Kuala Lumpur) during concert on that night. The police raid the house project and raid everybody during the concert and also trash into living room of people who live there without any warrant and solid reason of the raid.
We all believe the raid were conducted due to the connection of Bersih 4 Rally which happen on the next days (29 and 30th) in which totally insane since the organizer of the concert, participants, and Rumah Api have little interest to join or even support the rally, due to our political stance on the issue of election and voting system.
The state use Rumah Api as the scapegoat of recent event of attack on banks and multinational corporations in KL for the past 2 years. So far, they found nothing to link us with that events. The police seize all the musical equipments at the concert hall, seize 2 computers of people who live there, one smart phone, artwork, and books belongs to people who live there. The police said they search the building for any weapons or explosives that can link us to terrorism.
All 160 people who got arrested were remand for 3 days. Among of the arrestee, there are friends from United States, Germany, Spain, Phillipines and Indonesia who attend the concert. According to the detainees, during the interrogation, the police ask about their participation with Rumah Api and how far the knowledge they had about Rumah Api and terrorism. They all been given little food and source of water and there are issue of mistreating the detainees, especially womyn detainees.
The police released all of the detainess on 31st August except two friends, one for Manila and one from Bandung. The police mention that they still under detention due to the process of checking their status in Malaysia and both of friends have records that they are entering this country with legal permit.
At the moment, they still held the computers and a smartphone until further notice to help their investigation. 2 friends were now facing court charges of Section 143 of the Penal Code, Section (4)(1)(b) of the Sedition Act and Section 6 of the Selangor Entertainment and Places of Entertainment Enactment which facing fine and prison sentence of 20 years.
We asking for solidarity from all over the world to spread the news. This is a brutal tactic use by the state to clamp down the movement. With current political and economic unstable in this country, and also the uprising of the anti-government sentiments, they trying to put down any action or any lifestyle that doesnt go along with what they want.
On Rumah Api side, the gig that night titled is Party Tonight, Revolution Tomorrow is nothing more than just a normal friday night gig with no intention to relate it with Bersih 4 rally. We at Rumah Api are hypocritical with the popular struggle in Malaysia. Bersih 4 which is a demonstration for free and clean election is a so called first world problem and it is a middle upper class agenda. Bersih 4 is being supported and joined by liberals and Islamist with their partisan politics that we are all against. We focus more on the grassroot level and more interested to put our energy on strengthening our own and surrounding community. We see, by supporting Bersih 4 and it’s agenda, we are on the wrong side of our struggle. In Malaysia, by changing the government, it will not make the problems goes away. Issues of xenophobia, homophobia, racism and religion are still the serious problems the politicians failed to address.
Now, people still gathering outside of Ampang Police Station to pressure them to released two of our friends. Please spread the words and reply if you need more infos, updates and so on.
Never Surrender
for news portal links:
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/310541
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/police-arrest-163-youths-at-bersih-concert-countdown-in-ampang
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/ahead-of-bersih-4-dozens-nabbed-in-raid-against-independent-punk-venue-ruma
