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Rights group blasts Malaysia's ban on opposition rally

An international human-rights group slammed the Malaysian government yesterday for banning an opposition-backed rally that organizers say will attract tens of thousands of activists calling for free elections.

Malaysian law bans public gatherings of more than five people without a permit. National police chief Musa Hassan has denied permission for today's planned rally, saying it would "jeopardize public order." Police have also said the rally would inconvenience motorists.

"The grounds for refusing the rally are nonsense," Brad Adams, Asia director at the New York-based Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.

"If Malaysia wants to count itself a democracy, it can begin by upholding constitutional guarantees of free speech and assembly. The way the system works now, only the ruling coalition can get its messages out," he said.

Some 70 non-governmental organizations and opposition political parties are planning a rally in Merdeka Square, a park in downtown Kuala Lumpur, to ask the government to implement electoral reforms. They expect a crowd of between 10,000 and 40,000.

National elections are not due until 2009 but are widely expected to be held early next year.

Activists say elections are generally tilted in favor of the ruling National Front coalition because of gerrymandering that weeds out known opposition supporters. There are also frequent allegations of vote buying and other irregularities, including the use of public resources by the ruling parties and bias by the Election Commission.

The National Front, a coalition of various parties representing Malaysia's different races -- Malays, Chinese, Indians and others -- has been in power since independence in 1952.

A police spokesman, who declined to be named, citing protocol, said rally participants face up to a year in jail. He said 4,000 police personnel would be stationed at Merdeka Square.

Ronnie Liu, a senior member of the opposition Democratic Action Party, said the rally would go ahead as planned.
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