It was an amazing day.

There was nothing to stop the 100 odd reformasi crowd from gathering outside the magistrate court on Aug 4.

There was nothing to stop people from seeking solidarity with opposition leaders who face trial for illegal assemblies.

There was nothing to stop the chanting of "Suara Rakyat", "Re-for-ma-si", "Hancur Mahathir" and "Tangkap Mahathir"

There was nothing to stop the distribution of leafets carrying information on Anwar's sodomy trial.

There was nothing to stop people from holding a press release issued by Suhakam's Chief Musa Hitam in support of rights to peaceful assembly - just in case they were arrested.

Nor was there anything to stop a solitary figure carrying a poster of Anwar Ibrahim and adressing of crowd by outside the court house by Keadilan's leaders Tian Chua and Mohamad Ezam just after their mention in court.

There was nothing to stop the expression of the nation on this wonderful day - not the rain, not the countless threats by government officials asking people not to join the gathering, not the intimidating presence of FRU police personnels with their shields and batons, water canons, fire engines and red cross vans,  not even the warning signs on TV airing excerpts of the May 13 '69 riots on Aug 1.

There was a real sense of unity of the masses as people of different gender, race, religion, social background and age waited outside the court house.

The Bar Council observers were there. The NGO observers were there and the journalists were there. But where was Suhakam (Human Rights Commision) observers, most people asked?

The coming  together of people on Aug 4 said more about "national unity" than all the programs and activities ever organised by the country's National Unity Department.

Because the coming together of people on Aug 4 was about justice, truth and human rights. This is what unity is all about, not holding hands on TV singing "malaysia tercinta", not visiting people's house's during hari raya, christmas or chinese new year and certainly not about walkathons and bridge runs".

Other than wanting to show support for Anwar Ibrahim and other opposition leaders, many were there to see for themselves who would actually initiate the violence that the prime minister and his home ministry constantly accuse are the demonstrators themselves.

After the Aug 4 rally, observers have seen for themselves that it is the police who had started the commotion when they moved in with their shields, crash helmets and batons to disperse the crowd.

Why was there need to disperse the crowd? There was no conjestion of traffic accept for the normal traffic jam.

There was no untoward incidence happening accept for chanting of slogans and distribution of leaflets.

Yet there were people who were pushed, kicked, warned and arrested as in the case of Mona Shofian, Gobalakrishnan, Lokman Nor Adam and 4 others.

Why can't the authorities accept the fact that in any nation, pluralism does not only exists in names, color of skin, gods or deities one worships but pluralism  also exists in terms of ideology, principals and support of different political parties?

Why can't the government accept the fact that no matter what they do, no matter what they plan, no matter how powerful they think they are in crippling the forces of the nation, there will always be people brave enough, human beings who still hold on to principals of justice, truth and good governance that would rise among the crowd and speak their hearts and minds.

Political detainees under the ISA and Anwar Ibrahim are such people. The government can imprison their bodies, cripple their movements and break their spirits, but nothing can bind their consciousness, nothing can take away their dignity and nothing can stop others from walking the very same pathway.

Susan.