What was to have been a peaceful gathering at the National Mosque to present a memorandum to the King has been crushed using all the might at the disposal of the state. Aliran deplores the high-handed action of the police in arresting and chasing reformasi supporters using tear gas and water cannon even at the vicinity of the National Mosque. We regret the use of police helicopters and personnel with automatic rifles to intimidate the public.

We also call on the authorities to investigate a BBC report that "police beat one man in the mosque compound". If the report is accurate, the police should explain why they acted lawlessly and brutally in dispersing people. It is even more reprehensible that this act should be committed within the hallowed grounds of the National Mosque.

It is also disturbing that the newly appointed Malaysian Human Rights Commission has nothing to say about the authorities' high-handed tactics in dispersing peaceful demonstrators. Why are they observing a day of silence? It should be able to say whether Malaysians have a democratic right to assemble peacefully. If it cannot speak up at this crucial time, its existence is meaningless. If it had spoken up, the sceptics would have been convinced that it is indeed an independent body with courage and commitment to defend democracy. Through its silence, the commission has condemned itself.

We also deplore the mass arrests of reformasi supporters who were only planning a peaceful gathering. Police have confirmed that 46 Malaysians have been detained over the last two days in connection with the Black 14 gathering. Very likely, this figure will rise as more Malaysians are likely to be arrested. We call on the police to guarantee that they will be treated humanely. So far we have not heard of any report that these gatherings have been unruly or rowdy. There was no sign of any violence. Thinking Malaysians will wonder why there was a need to act violently against peaceful demonstrators.

It looks like Kuala Lumpur is now under siege with a heavy police presence. Today, we have seen how the might of the state has been used to wipe out any pretence of a democracy. From today, we can no longer call ourselves a democratic nation. Aliran, however, salutes those Malaysians who were arrested in their defence of democracy and their basic right to assemble peacefully.

We call upon the police to release all those detained immediately and unconditionally. To detain them any longer would be a travesty of justice.