Tear gas was shot into Tung Shin

'Witnesses confirm tear gas shot into Tung Shin'


Witness statements and other evidence “consistently” show that tear gas was shot into the grounds of Tung Shin Hospital during the July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally, concludes a report that Tenaganita has submitted to Suhakam.

The rights NGO submitted their eight-page report at noon yesterday, a compilation of the testimonies of 18 eyewitnesses at the controversial scene at the hospital and the adjoining Chinese Maternity Hospital along Jln Pudu.



"One witness stated that she was standing near the Emergency entrance where the ambulances are parked when a tear gas canister dropped one foot away from her,” read one of the statements.

“Another witness stated that he saw smoke from tear gas canisters in the area of the open-air carpark of Tung Shin Hospital. Out of the 18 statements obtained, 16 witnesses explicitly stated seeing tear gas fired into hospital compounds, while 4 stated seeing water cannons fired into hospital compounds,” the report added.

“There was no provocation of the police forces by the crowd (no heckling, no chanting of offensive slogans, and no physical provocation) despite the fact that we had been corralled on either end of the road by police and were NOT allowed to disperse or to move on with the march.”

It added that from the statements, participants of the rally at that location had demonstrated “peacefulness and civility” in contrary to reports carried by the mainstream media blaming the rallyers for forcing the hands of the police.

“Additionally, none of the eyewitnesses stated that there was any destruction of property during the rally, with one stating that 'no one (even) littered'.”

Tenaganita had called for eyewitnesses to submit statements and visual evidence of the incident, where riot police allegedly fired water cannons and tear gas into the hospital, following government denials that such events had taken place.

Rallyers 'trapped' and gassed

The report also details witnesses claims of how they were forced to flee into the hospital as “riot police and FRU trucks had 'sealed' off the area from both ends (one end near Terminal Bas Puduraya, and on the other near the Swiss Garden Hotel)” and they were “trapped” with nowhere to disperse to.

“As we were somewhat close to the front, we sat down almost immediately. Suddenly, without warning (and without provocation from anyone), multiple shots of tear gas were fired at us.

"It was extremely strong. People started running for cover. As the hospital compound was the nearest and safest place for us to seek shelter in, we ran to it,” read one testimony.

Witnesses also support the claim that tear gas was fired “suddenly and without warning”, without provocation from the Bersih participants.

The report describes accounts of how the Bersih participants were eventually let into the hospital, and that they had remained quiet while in the premises.

“As the participants waited in the compound of Tung Shin Hospital, the police and FRU trucks moved into a line in front of the main entrance and exit to the hospital. This effectively prevented participants from leaving the hospital, even if they wanted to,” read the report.

“We thought we were safe. We were resting in an area. Then we got teargassed. I am 52. I had a major infection and asthma attack. A few days later, I actually went back to Tung Shin Hospital for medical aid,” one eyewitness said.

The testimonies relate how the police later retreated, and those in Tung Shin began to leave the hospital grounds back to the main road, but were attacked again by the riot police, whom they say once again shot tear gas at them.

Some fled into the maternity hospital, and arrests were noted.

'Excessive force'

“I witnessed about 10 participants being arrested at the Chinese Maternity Hospital,” said one eyewitness.

“The police ran after the participants by grabbing their shirts and pants. Some were pushed down, beaten and handcuffed.

“When some of the participants started resisting the arrest, they were beaten up with baton. At Chinese Maternity Hospital, the police attacked the participants as they were saying doa.”

According to the report, some 100 were in the maternity hospital when about 20 policemen “charged into the hospital grounds with truncheons and plastic cable ties”.

Describing police using “excessive and wholly unjustified force” in making their arrests, there were testimonies of police “beating other participants on the head, chest, back and torso”.

“Some participants also witnessed persons being shoved, dragged and kicked by the police,” the report continued.

The eyewitnesses then detailed the physical effects of the tear gas that they had suffered, with one even claiming that skin from her face peeled off the next day.

“The testimonies of the 18 witnesses and the photographic evidence obtained demonstrate clearly that Tung Shin Hospital and Chinese Maternity Hospital were attacked by the enforcement officers with tear gas and chemical-laced water cannons, and that the police exercised brutal and excessive force against participants seeking refuge within the hospital compound,” concluded the report.

“This violation of the principle of 'hospitals as places of sanctuary' and the police brutality witnessed must be taken by Human Rights Commission with utmost urgency.”

On July 9 an estimated 50,000 people gathered in Kuala Lumpur to walk for electoral reforms.

After over a week of heavy-handed police action the organisers, Bersih 2.0 ,finally sought an audience with the Agong on July 8 and agreed to hold the rally at Stadium Merdeka.

The government, however, denied them a permit and participants and the police eventually clashed on the city streets particularly in the Jln Bukit Bintang, Jln Pudu and KL Sentral vicinities, resulting in 1,667 arrests.