Tengku Enisya Zaharin's understanding of 'laws of the jungle' and 'destructive actions' ([#1]BA supporters broke the law[/#], Nov 15) are different from mine.

The violent religious clashes that Anwar Ibrahim referred to on March 29,1998 , was clearly a matter of people taking the law into their own hands by going on murderous rampage of revenge instead of leaving the matters to the police.

Anwar advised Malaysians not to "....advocate the law of the jungle by taking the law into their own hands ..."

However, to claim our constitutional right of peaceful assemblies and freedom of expressions falls out of the scope of taking the law into our own hands.

The Kesas highway melee was the result of the high-handedness of the police which have been discussed many times, from their violation of our right to assemble peacefully on private land to their immature and foolhardy manner in dealing with the situation on the Kesas highway.

OK, so the reformasi supporters did break the law, one which should not have been there in the first place.

Does that justify the excessive and irrational actions by the police on that day? Spray them with chemical-free water cannons by all means and arrest a hundred or so to show as an example of police firmness.

But why smash cars and motorcycles? Why beat people senseless? Why spray tear-gas into truckloads of defenseless detainees? Why confiscate cameras, something even Israeli and Serbian armies do not do!

Tengku Enisya also claims that she has endured many destructive actions of pro-Anwar supporters. But the latter do not at all feel that their actions are destructive. On the other hand , they firmly believe that what they are doing is for the good of future generations, i.e. restoring justice and democracy.

And, if the Tengku must know, reformasi supporters have endured terrible actions not just by the police, media and powers that be, but also good people like yourself who fail to see the shameful state our beloved country has fallen into.

Rainy Day Man