Police arrest 14 anti-trade deal activists in eastern Malaysia

Police detained 14 activists in eastern Malaysia on Saturday during a protest against a free-trade deal under negotiation among 11 countries, police said, according to dpa. The activists were calling for a halt to the ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations being held in Kota Kinabalu in the state of Sabah, about 1,620 kilometres east of Kuala Lumpur. They said the proposed treaty is aimed at enhancing and protecting the interests of the United States in Asia and the Pacific, and would be detrimental to Malaysia. The 11 countries involved in the TTP negotiations are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam. An official of the Kota Kinabalu police said the activists were detained on suspicion of being under the influence of illegal drugs. The officer said they were undergoing urine tests and would be freed if the results proved negative. Suaram, a local human rights group, criticized police for violating the freedoms of assembly and expression guaranteed under the Malaysian constitution. dpa jag tlo