Protesters arrived in the vicinity of Merdeka Square where stalls were selling scarves, t-shirts and vuvuzelas for the rally. Jamal Yunos, the leader of a planned counter-demonstration, was detained early Saturday, according to news portal The Star Online. Bersih's offices were also raided by police Friday, and chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah and secretariat member Mandeep Singh were detained. Women's rights activist Ivy Josiah said the arrests showed the government felt "rattled" by the planned rally. Human Rights Watch (HRW) deputy Asia director Phil Robertson said the arrests were an attempt to decapitate the Bersih movement on the eve of the rally by making sure its key leaders were in jail.

Source: The Nation Bangkok November 19, 2016 02:23 UTC