Sulu Sou wants police-demonstrator mechanism

Lawmaker Sulu Sou has asked the government to establish a specific communication mechanism between demonstration organizers and police authorities for future demonstrations, in order to avoid having the police authority add sudden restrictions to the activities of the demonstration.

In his written inquiry to the government, Sou accused the police authority of coming up with extra restrictions during demonstrations, which reduce the effectiveness of the expression of public opinion.

The practice also lacks legal grounds and is suspected of violating the city’s demonstration law, according to Sou.

“The Director of the Public Security Police Force (PSP) has always been able to impose restrictions on the time or place before an assembly. The police also impose further temporary verbal restrictions during an assembly. These on-the-spot verbal restrictions often become the trigger point for the dispute between the police and the people, and may even lead to other conflicts,” writes Sou.

Moreover, according to the lawmaker, frontline police officers and demonstration organizers generally do not have contact with each other.

“Does the government admit that these temporary restrictions, which are unreasonable [and] unrealistic, have undermined the original peaceful and orderly gathering atmosphere? How will the government review its practices to improve the police-civilian relationship at the assembly site?” Sou asked. JZ