Some 20 to 30 police personnel abruptly ended a talk last night in Kuala Lumpur, held in conjunction with the banned Seksualiti Merdeka festival.
The scenes in the video were shot at the Annexe Gallery, Central Market last night. Police surrounded the annex hall and asked a small group that had gathered to disperse.
The forum that was halted, was about Sexuality Rights In The Workplace, meant to discuss sexuality rights and fair employment policies across genders, and solutions towards making the workplace friendlier for people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. It was a private talk meant for Seksualiti Merdeka members and friends only.
Seksualiti Merdeka is an annual festival celebrating human rights of people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. It is backed by several NGOs, including the Bar Council, Amnesty International and Suaram.
The event was scheduled to be held at the Annexe Gallery of the Pasar Seni (formerly Central Market) in Kuala Lumpur from Nov 9 to 13.
Yesterday, deputy inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar announced a blanket ban on the event.
The event has been held since 2008 to promote better understanding of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community in the country and for the people to respect their rights.
Video by Indrani Kopal
