Hindraf invites UN to monitor Feb 27 rally

The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) has requested for observers from the United Nations (UN) to monitor its 'People's March in Solidarity Against Umno's Racism' this Sunday.

The march will start from the KLCC at 9am, and end at the Dang Wangi Police station.

The demonstration is to protest against Interlok, the controversial novel that Form Five students use as a compulsory literature text.

Hindraf national information coordinator, S Jayathas (third from left), said that it would only be fair if the UN were to to witness how the protestors were being handled by the police.

He was speaking at the UN office in Kuala Lumpur.

"The UN will see that we are running a peaceful demonstration."

Jayathas added that the police have yet to reply regarding their application for a police permit submitted on Feb 11.

Asked to comment on Ibrahim Ali Perkasa president lodging a police report against Hindraf today, he replied:

"Perkasa is under the Umno. If they were to report to the police, everyone pays attention and action is taken. If they were to run a demo, nothing happens, no one is arrested.

"When we make a police report, the response is slow. When others - like us - demonstrate, we get arrested.

On Feb 13, the police detained 59 people nationwide who were travelling in Hindraf organised convoys. There have been with allegations of rough treatment by the police.

Request for UN to intervene

Jayathas has also submitted a letter urging the UN to intervene in the 'Interlok' issue.

It was received by Devendran Patel, United Nation's Security Advisor for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.

He explained that the book was not appropriate for use in school as it portrayed Indians negatively.

The novel, by national laureate Abdullah Hussein, became a controversial issue following the ministry's decision to use the novel as a literature textbook, with several parties claiming that it contains words deemed demeaning to the Indian community.

Education Minister MuhyiddinYassin had announced on Jan 27 that the novel will remain as the textbook for the literature component of the Bahasa Malaysia subject for Form Five, but with amendments to those parts deemed offensive by the Indian community.

Jayathas said he wants Unesco to intervene in this issue as it degrades the Indian and Chinese community.

"The book has nothing but racial slurs and it stereotypes the two races," he said, adding that the novel would only divide the peaceful Malaysian nation.

Jayathas added the anti-Interlok forum is still on schedule.

"Tonight we will run the forum at the Mahamariamman Temple at Ladang Bukit Jalil near Puchong and the last day of forum is at the KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall tomorrow.

HINDRAF-Urgent appeal to International Governments, UN & Orgs on possible UMNO sponsored Violence on 27/2/11

21st February 2011.



Dear Sir/Madam,

Re: Urgent Request to make Representations to the Government of Malaysia on the Crackdown and possible violence by UMNO sponsored underworld “3 Line”, Pekida and Extremist Perkasa on Human Rights Advocates organising Solidarity March against UMNO racism in Malaysia on 27th February 2011.


I write to you with the utmost urgency for your attention on the above matter.

HINDRAF is a Human Rights organisation that advocates the rights of the marginalized Indian community in Malaysia. Although the Government of Malaysia has banned this movement without well-founded reasons, it has continued to organise various activities affecting human rights issues nationwide and as of late 2007, the movement has been operating from London.

Recently, the Malaysian government took a decision to approve the use of a novel entitled “Interlok” as part of compulsory curriculum material for 5th Form pupils in selected areas in Malaysia but the ethnic Indian community and HINDRAF take exception to the use of the novel because it contains racially insensitive, degrading, humiliating, and disrespectful use of adjectives that is extreme racist nature and on behalf of the Indian community HINDRAF has called for a total ban of the novel. The government has chosen to ignore our compliant but insist that the material will go into circulation once amendments to the material are passed sometime next month.

In response to the recalcitrant attitude of the government, HINDRAF passed a motion to stage a Solidarity March against Racism on 27th February 2011 and in furtherance to the said event, we also organised various road shows, forums, car drive campaigns and such like at national level. We have managed to amass a total of more than 200 Hindraf Human Rights campaigners to carry out grassroots campaigns including distribution of posters and fliers regarding our intention.

However since 10th February 2011, the Government began a crackdown on HINDRAF Human Rights campaigners using harassment, threat of violence, arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture, inhumane and degrading treatment including the demand that female activists remove their Orange Hindraf T-Shirts in public.

On 13th March 2011, a total of 59 Hindraf leaders and volunteers were arrested nationwide for taking part in an Anti Racism (car drive campaign). Police subjected one volunteer to inhumane ill treatment by placing him in a dark room for almost 19 out of 26 hours he was under arrest and detention. More than 120 other volunteers were prevented from continuing their campaigns nationwide.

The Police harassment continued from 13th February with:

a) Intimidation used against venue owners for allowing us to use their halls to conduct our forums;
b) Threatening venue owners with arbitrary arrest;
c) Threatening HINDRAF volunteers with arrests if they were to continue with forum discussions nationwide;
d) Placing HINDRAF volunteers under surveillance and making unannounced visits to their work places to intimidate and put pressure on employers to terminate HINDRAF volunteers from their jobs;
e) Road blocks at strategic points leading to venues of our nationwide forums thus preventing these forums from taking place.
f) Using the Police Federal Reserve Units (PFRU) in full riot gear to carry out a “baton charge” at a function Hall in Penang thus endangering the safety and security of vulnerable individuals such as the elderly, women and children at the anti racism forums.
g) Further arrests of 16 Hindraf leaders and volunteers also took place on 20th February 2011.

The Government of Malaysia is fearful that our road shows and ground campaigns over the last 3 weeks is likely to draw a large crowd for the Solidarity March on 27th February and is thus threatening us with the possible arrests under the draconian Internal security Act which may be a repeat of similar arrests which took place in 2007.

Despite the threats from the Government, we are undeterred as we are committed in our pursuit to continue with our peaceful Solidarity March scheduled on 27th February 2011. We have made an application for a Police permit; although we do not require one under the Federal Constitution, which guarantees Freedom of speech and assembly. We however anticipate that it is very unlikely that the Police would approve our requests for Police permits.

The March on 27th February 2011 would begin at KLCC and terminate at the Jalan Dang Wangi Police Station where more than 1000 people would lodge reports against the current Government which has been ruling for 54 years and its Primer Minister for practising Institutionalised racism in Malaysia.

We write to urge you to make an urgent representation to the Government of Malaysia to respect the citizens’ universal standards of Human rights, as well as the right to assemble and express feelings of discontentment and allow us to proceed with the March peacefully.

We fear the UMNO led Government would engage its agent provocateurs namely, the notorious 3 LINE and Pekida underworld gangs and its outsourced far right extremist wing such as the Perkasa to cause trouble on the said day.

We attach herewith our letters to the Inspector General of Police seeking his protection and co-operation (which thus far has been ignored) and a copy of the Memorandum of Complaint to the Human Rights Commission Malaysia, which is self-explanatory.

Your kind indulgence and urgent action is very much appreciated.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully


P.Waytha Moorthy
Chair
HINDRAF
+447502289313 (Mobile)

William J.Burns
The Under Secretary for Political Affairs
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

Rt.Hon. William Hague MP
Foreign Secretary
Foreign & Commonwealth Office,
King Charles Street,
London.
SW1A 2AH

Ms Heidi Hautala
Chair of the Human Rights Sub Committee
European Parliament
Rue Wiertz
Wiertzstraat
B-1047 Brussels

Richard Ottaway MP
House of Commons
Foreign Affairs Committee
4 Millbank
City of London SW1P 3JA


Ms Navanethem Pillay
High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Palais Wilson
52 rue des Pâquis
CH-1201 Geneva, Switzerland
+41 22 917 9656
civilsociety@ohchr.org

Mr. Githu Muigai
Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Fax: +41 22 917 9006
Email: racism@ohchr.org

Mrs. Margaret Sekaggya
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Fax: +41 22 917 9006
Email: urgent-action@ohchr.org

Gay McDougall
Independent Expert on Minority Issues
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Fax: + 41 22 917 9006

Mr. Frank La Rue
Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Fax: +41 22 917 9006
Email: freedex@ohchr.org


Gabriella Habtom
Human Rights Officer and Secretary of the Committee
on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Human Rights Treaties Division
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Tel. +41.22.917.9193 - Fax +41.22.917.90.08
e-mail: ghabtom@ohchr.org / tb-petitions@ohchr.org
Palais Wilson - 52, rue des Pâquis, CH-1201,
Geneva, Switzerland

Frank William La Rue
Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
UNOG-OHCHR
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 917 93 32
Fax: +41 22 917 90 22

Amnesty International
1 Easton Street
London
WC1X 0DW, UK
Telephone: +44-20-74135500
Fax number: +44-20-79561157
Email: activism@amnesty.org.uk

Human Rights Watch
Address: 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th floor
New York, NY 10118-3299 USA
Tel: +1-212-290-4700
Fax: +1-212-736-1300
email: spiegem@hrw.org

Minority Rights Group International
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Telephone: +44 (0)20 7422 4200
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Email: minority.rights@mrgmail.org

Front Line –
The International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
Head Office, Second Floor, Grattan House
Temple Road, Blackrock
Co Dublin, Ireland
Tel: +353 (0)1 212 3750
Fax: +353 (0)1 212 1001
E-mail: info@frontlinedefenders.org

OSCE Secretariat
Wallnerstrasse 6
1010 Vienna
Austria
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NAACP
Washington Bureau
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European Union External Action Service
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E-mail: delegation-malaysia@ec.europa.eu

US Embassy Malaysia
Mr Brian D. McFeeters - Political Counselor
376 Jalan Tun Razak
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel No: (03) 2168-4946,
Fax No : (03) 2168-5165,
Email : mcfeetersbd@state.gov


Rainbow Push Coalition
National Headquarters
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Chicago, IL 60615
Phone: 773-373-3366
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National Action Network
House of Justice
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Fax No ( 877)- 626 4651
Email : rachel@noerdlingermedia.com

Interlok: Hindraf delegation mets U.N. Devendra Patel today. Letter to UNESCO, Paris.

Tuduhan Hindraf: Perkasa buat laporan polis

Ibrahim Ali menyangkal tuduhan yang Umno, Pekida dan Perkasa akan mengacau perhimpunan anjuran Hindraf Ahad ini.


KUALA LUMPUR: Satu laporan polis dibuat terhadap Hindraf kerana mendakwa Umno, Pekida, dan Perkasa akan mengacau satu perarakan aman yang akan dianjurkan pertubuhan tersebut Ahad ini.

Laporan polis itu dibuat oleh Presiden Perkasa Datuk Ibrahim Ali di Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) Dang Wangi di sini hari ini.

Ibrahim berkata, Perkasa semalam menerima satu salinan surat (melalui e-mel) yang ditulis Pengerusi Hindraf P Waytha Moorthy memfitnah Perkasa dan Pekida sebagai alat Umno untuk menimbulkan huru-hara pada perhimpunan itu nanti.

Bertajuk “Rayuan kepada kerajaan antarabangsa, Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (PBB), dan beberapa NGO terhadap kemungkinan Umno disebalik keganasan”, Waytha Moorthy menghantar surat itu kepada 21 penerima, antaranya Setiausaha Hal Ehwal Semasa Politik Amerika Syarikat, Setiausaha Pejabat Komanwel dan Negara Luar di London, dan beberapa pertubuhan hak asasi antarabangsa.

Waytha Moorthy dalam suratnya menyatakan kebimbangan beliau yang Umno akan bekerjasama dengan Perkasa dan Pekida untuk menyebabkan huru-hara pada hari tersebut.

Berikutan itu, beliau berkata Hindraf juga telah menulis surat kepada Ketua Polis Negara meminta perlindungan dan kerjasama, selain aduan kepada Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Malaysia (Suhakam).

Namun, Ibrahim dalam laporan polisnya menafikan dakwaan surat tersebut dan menegaskan Perkasa sama sekali tidak akan terlibat dalam mana-mana penganjuran perhimpunan haram.



“Selaku Ahli Parlimen Pasir Mas serta Presiden Perkasa, saya akan menghantar surat maklum balas menjawab tuduhan Waytha Moorthy kepada kesemua 21 orang diperingkat antarabangsa supaya dapat membersihkan nama baik kerajaan, rakyat Malaysia, Perkasa dan Pekida.

“Kebetulan juga 24 Februari ini saya akan bertemu dengan salah seorang pegawai tertinggi Kedutaan Amerika dan saya akan memberikan penjelasan bahawa gambaran yang diberikan pihak terbabit tidak benar,” katanya kepada pemberita.

Hindraf dijangka mengadakan satu perhimpunan aman bermula di Pusat Konvensyen Kuala Lumpur (KLCC) dan berakhir di IPD Dang Wangi dimana 1,000 tandatangan pengadu dikumpul bagi membuat laporan polis terhadap kerajaan dan Perdana Menteri yang dituduh masih mengamalkan perkauman.

Ibrahim berkata dakwaan itu hanya sebagai alasan untuk Hindraf merancang satu suasana tegang sehingga mencetuskan huru-hara seperti yang berlaku di Tunisia dan Libya sekarang.

“Dalam demonstrasi jalanan, apa pun boleh berlaku. Jika ada yang cedera, mereka akan salahkan polis,” katanya.

Sehubungan itu, Ibrahim dalam laporan polisnya turut menggesa polis bertindak tegas terhadap Hindraf yang digelarkannya sebagai pertubuhan haram dan amat merbahaya.

Najib’s bid to strike out RM200m suit by Hindraf leaders to be heard on March 24

(Bernama) - KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 22 — The High Court will hear on March 24, an application by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and five others to strike out a RM200 million suit filed by former Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees M. Manoharan and P. Uthayakumar.

The application will be heard before High Court Judicial Commissioner Harmindar Singh Dhaliwal.

Harmindar set the date in chambers, upon meeting Manoharan who was representing himself and Uthayakumar, and Senior Federal Counsel Diar Isda Yazmin Ismail appearing for the defendants.

Speaking to reporters, Manoharan said Harmindar would hear the matter as another judicial commissioner, Dr Prasad Sandosham Abraham, who was initially scheduled to hear the case, had recused himself from hearing the matter on the grounds that he was Najib’s classmate.

Manoharan also said that the court had ordered the parties to file written submissions before the striking out the hearing.

In the striking-out application, Najib and the five other defendants said the suit filed by Manoharan and Uthayakumar on Dec 9, last year was frivolous, vexatious and an abuse of the court process.

In the suit, Manoharan and Uthayakumar named Najib, former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, former inspector-general of police Tan Sri Musa Hassan, the Taiping detention centre superintendent and the Government as defendants.

They are seeking RM100 million each in damages, an annual interest of eight per cent be awarded on grounds that they had been wrongfully detained for 514 days from Dec 13, 2007 to May 9, 2009. — Bernama

Tian Chua: Batu estate workers marginalised

Crackdown on Hindraf anti racist campaign- Photos: Lunas Forum and Arrest

Second round of arrest made at penang forum 30 minutes ago and we are yet to receive photos and videos

Today at 10:40 in Kulim Kedah, 8 key members of HRP/HINDRAF were arrested by the police while the HRP event was going on. Following are the list the of member which was arrested.
Mr. Sambulingam , HINDRAF National Coordinator and HRP President,  Age 48
Mr. C.F. Mani  – Deputy Chief, Selangor, Age 35
Mr Ramu – Kedah State Coordinator, Age 43
Mr Muniandy , Kedah Deputy State Coordinator, Age 37
Mr Jaya , Activist, Age 25
Mr Maniam, Activist, Age 57
Mr T Raja , Activist, Age 52
P.Ramesh- Perak Chief
OCP Kulim, Mr Kuslan leading the police to ARREST 7 of them and immediately  taken to IPD Kulim. The key members did not resist the arrest and was taken into the police car immediately. The crowd was very upset over the incident and were forcefully dispersed by around 150 police personnel including the RIOT POLICE. Our spokesman on the ground confirmed that the racist UMNO Polis Raja Di Malaysia used force, however our supporters stayed calm and dispersed according to the instructions. The event was interrupted 30 minutes after it began. The event was attended over 200 supporters and the general public who wanted to know the real issues of “INTERLOK”.
The event was organized by the Kedah State HRP office, it was a Forum against INTERLOK. The Organizers HAD applied for the permit but it was REJECTED. THIS REJECTION WAS CLEAR VIOLATION OF THE MALAYSIAN CONSTITUTION – “RIGHTS TO ASSEMBLY”
The event was organized in “Taman Sawi “ also know as “Kartu Raja” in Paya Besar , Lunas.
At present we do not have other details and will update this post at periodical intervals of  30 minutes
S. Jayathas

Regards.

S.JAYATHAS
HINDRAF ( National Information Coordinater)
www.hindraf.org
Human Rights Party (HRP) National Information Chief
www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com
Contact No: 012 636 2287

Flash News 8:30pm : Police is not allowing 100 activist into IPD Jawi Police Station to lodge a Police Report Against UNMO Racism

Despite HRP / HINDRAF support gather outside the police IPD Jawi ,Penang,  shouting UNMO racist and Malay-sia Police Racist. All 8 leader and activists  have been taken by the police black maria and have currently been LOCKUP at the IPD Jawi Police Station.

Coming: Interlok's ideal antidote

Come August, barring the unexpected, Malaysian readers will be able to access the ideal antidote to the controversial literary text, Interlok, which is said to be disparaging of Indian Malaysians.

A book, 'A History of Indians in Malaysia: From the Melaka Sultanate to Hindraf,' is set to be published in that month. It will tell the story of Indian Malaysians' contribution to the development of the country.

The author, Carl Vadivella Belle, is what academics would call an 'Indologist,' in the same vein scholars of Chinese studies are termed 'Sinologists.' He is in the final stages of completing the manuscript for publication.

Vadivella Belle, aged 62, became enamored of things Malaysian when he was the Attache (Development Assistance) at the Australian High Commission here in 1976-79.

Fascination with the annual Thaipusam festival led this former Lutheran to become a Hindu in 1981.

A doctoral dissertation, 'Thaipusam in Malaysia: A Hindu Festival Misunderstood,' obtained for him a Phd from Deakin University, Melbourne, 2004.

This was followed by a paper, 'The Development of Indian Political Consciousness in Malaya: Colonialism, Nationalism and Subhas Chandra Bose' that he submitted in 2009 to the Centre for Indian Diaspora Studies at the University of Hyderabad.

After that it was a logical progression for Vadivella to attempt the book he hopes would place the contributions of Indian Malaysians to national development in proper perspective.

“I think this contribution has not been accorded the recognition that is properly its due,” he told Malaysiakini in an interview at the tail end of his month-long stay in country that took in the Thaipusam celebration in Batu Caves last month and ended with the Masi Magham festival in Malacca earlier this week.

He said two earlier forays on the subject, one by Kernial Singh Sandu in 1969 ('Indian Migrations to Malaya') and the other by Sinappah Arasaratnam ('Indians in Malaysia'), were seminal works at the time of their publication, but both left out what Vadivella claimed were factors critical to the whole story: Imperial Britain's theories on race and religion that impacted adversely on Indian migrant labor in Malaya.

Vadivella said his book would examine those theories and how they affected the plight of the Indians who were brought to Malay to work in plantation agriculture, road and railway construction, and the development of ports.

“The laying of the transport infrastructure in the peninsula was in large part the work of Indians,” he asserted.

“The perception that the life of the Tamil indentured laborer in Malaya was better than what he experienced in his place of origin has to be put against such facts as the 18 per cent mortality rate from malaria, snakebite and malnutrition suffered by them in many parts of the peninsula,” he elaborated.

Vadivella said between the setting up of the Straits Settlements in 1826 and Merdeka in 1957, 4.2 million Indians had come to Malaya.
Of this number, he said 2.8 million returned to their ancestral land by the time of Independence. He said by 1957, 700,000 Indians in Malaya were local-born.

Vadivella obtained research grants for the book from the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) in Singapore, which is headed by by Klang-born M. Kesavapany, a former High Commissioner of Singapore to Malaysia.

The book is scheduled to be launched in August in Singapore. This will be followed by a launch in Kuala Lumpur.

Vadivella has done research for the book among archives in Malaysia, Singapore, India and England.

The writing is done at his 20-acre farm on which he and wife Wendy live in the rural small town of Millicent, which is about 400 kilometers from Melbourne.

“The mornings I devote to my writing and the afternoons to manual labor on the farm,” said Vadivella, of a pattern that is an apparent reversal of that of the people who are the subject of his book, who rose early for their daily labor and retired in the late afternoon.

Of course, the disjunction is of no import to a man who third child, a son, Carl Jr, was born in Kuala Lumpur and spoke Tamil to the housemaid, Jayaletchumy, before learning to speak in English to his parents.

“Malaysia is a fascinating in its complexity,” said Vadivella, with evident affection for the three years he spent here.

“It's sad to see so much that's fascinating about it marred by the racial prisms through which it is viewed,” he opined.

‘Register us or face suit’

Human Rights Party has given the government two weeks to recognise it as a political party or face a court action.

IPOH: The Human Rights Party (HRP) Malaysia has served a legal notice on Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Home Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein to demand that HRP be registered as a political party within two weeks.

If they do not meet the deadline, HRP will file a suit against the government.

HRP lawyers have served the notice on Friday. HRP is following in the footsteps of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) by taking the Barisan Nasional (BN) government to court for not approving the party’s registration.

HRP will seek an order of mandamus at the Kuala Lumpur High Court to compel the authorities to, among others, register HRP as a political party like Kita and Malaysian Makkal Sakthi Party(MMSP).

A copy of the party’s legal notice of demand was made available to FMT.

PSM took BN to court for not registering the party for 10 years and subsequently won recognition from Registrar of Societies (ROS) on Aug 19, 2008.

Now HRP, which is the political voice of the NGO Hindraf movement, claims that ROS has denied this Indian-based multi-racial political party the right to register for the past 12 years.

Tracing the history of the party, HRP pro tem secretary-general P Uthayakumar said the party was known as PRIM (Parti Reformasi Insan Malaysia) when he joined it in 2000 after leaving Parti Keadilan National (PKN), which is now renamed Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) .

On June 18, 2009, Uthayakumar re-submitted HRP’s formal application for registration under the name of Human Rights Party after he failed to register PRIM. He was then also PRIM secretary-general.

Biased attitude

On Nov 25, 2010, the party submitted the full set of registeration forms to the ROS. But further follow-ups proved fruitless.

According to Uthayakumar, the BN government’s continued refusal to recognise HRP as a political party directly contravened both Article 8 of the Federal Constitution (equality before the law) and Article 10 (freedom of association).

He questioned the biased attitude of the government in denying HRP the right to be legally registered whereas it allowed quick registration for other newly-formed parties.

For example, he said Kita was registered within one month while MMSP was approved within two weeks of its application in July 2009.

Uthayakumar also accused the government of allowing MMSP to steal and hijack Hindraf’s powerful “Makkal Sakthi” battle cry.

HRP will face an uphill battle to get itself registered given that the political climate has changed drastically.

However, the do-or-die party believes that no one is above the law and hence is prepared to go to court to get justice done.

The party intends to contest in 15 parliamentary and 38 state seats in the 13th general election.

Even if the registration is not approved in time, HRP is ready to swing into action by using independent election logos.

HRP leaders arrested at anti-Interlok forum

Seven leaders and activists of the Human Rights Party (HRP) were arrested earlier today during a forum held by the Indian-based group's on the controversial 'Interlok' novel in Kulim, Kedah.

According to HRP pro-tem secretary-general P Uthayakumar, the seven include HRP president W Sambulingam, Kedah HRP deputy-chief P Muniandy.

Among the others were Kedah HRP coordinator R Ramu, Selangor HRP deputy chief MS Maniam, and activists S Dass, D Raja and CF Mani.

Uthayakumar said the party also expects arrests to be made at a similar forum to be held this afternoon in Farlim, Penang.

The police, Uthayakumar added, have put up notices of arrest against those attending the forum.

According to HRP information chief S Jayathas, all seven activists who were arrested in Kulim were taken to the Kulim district police station.

The police, said Jayathas in a posting on the group's website, had said the forum was illegally held after its application for a permit was rejected.

The forum is part of HRP's nationwide campaign that will culminate on Feb 27 in a march against racism and the Interlok novel.

Interlok, written by national laureate Abdullah Hussain, has been accused of perpetuating racial stereotypes.

T-shirts confiscated, again

When contacted, Uthayakumar said the police at the Kulim police station were attempting to repeat the efforts made last week to confiscate the orange-coloured T-shirts worn by the HRP activists as a condition for their release.

"They say that if the HRP activists do not surrender their shirts, they will be locked up for seven days," said Uthayakumar.

"But to us, we will not surrender the shirts. They have become (like) sacred to us," he added.

Uthayakumar, who is also legal advisor to Hindraf, noted that thousands of PAS Youth members gathered in Kota Sarang Semut in Kedah without being disturbed by the police.

These activists nor the members of other NGOs and parties ordered to surrender their 'kopiah' or shirts, he added.

Perak chief P Ramesh arrested

Meanwhile, the group has also reported at 2.45pm that their gathering at Farlin, Penang was also scuttled.

The Penang CPO reportedly dispersed the forum "forcibly" leaving the scene "like a war zone with the Indian poor scattered all around on the one hand, and the over 100 police having cordoned off the Farlin Hall".

They also expect police raids and arrests at their 6.30pm forum at Simpang Ampat Sri Meenachiamman Temple, Prai.

Following that, it is reported that Perak HRP chief P Ramesh is arrested - for the second time this week - this time outside Kulim IPD.

100 Hindraf supporters led by Perak and Penang HRP chiefs peacefully protest outside the station with placards (above), demanding the release of the seven arrested earlier.

100 traffic and riot police, special branch and police officers cordon off the station.

Crackdown on Hindraf continues

Police crack their whips again, coming down hard on Hindraf leaders and activists at an anti-Interlok forum.

UPDATED

LUNAS: The police’s clampdown on Hindraf Makkal Sakti’s anti-Interlok campaign continues with the arrest of eight leaders and activists at an anti-Interlok forum here in Kedah this morning.
However, all eight have been released at 5.30pm, some six hours later.
The eight were Human Rights Party (HRP) Malaysia president W Sambulingam, 48, Kedah Hindraf chief R Ramu, 43, deputy chief P Muniandy, 37, CF Mani, 35, S Kuberadasan, 25, S Maniam, 57, T Raja, 52, and Perak Hindraf chief P Ramesh, 45.
They were detained when police stormed and disrupted the forum at the Kattu Raja hall in Paya Besar at 11.30am here.
All have been released on police bail. They will have to report at the Kulim police headquarters on March 19.
HRP secretary-general P Uthayakumar said that police have denied Hindraf permits to hold the anti-Interlok forum at Paya Besar and Air Itam and Simpang Ampat, Penang.
He said that police also prevented Hindraf activists and other Hindus from entering a temple in Kampar, Perak, to attend a similar forum last night.
He said the police clearly showed they would violate all human rights, including freedom of religion and assembly, enshrined under the Federal Constitution.
“They would violate all principles of human rights to halt our anti-Interlok peaceful march planned for Feb 27 in Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC).
“The police clampdown is a replay of the historic Nov 25 mammoth gathering at KLCC three years ago.
‘Handcuffed, chained, locked up’
“Its déjà vu 2007,” said Uthayakumar.
Meanwhile, Hindraf adviser N Ganesan claimed that his detained colleagues were “handcuffed, chained and locked up” at the Kulim district police headquarters.
He said Sambulingam was addressing some 100 people at the Kattu Raja hall at 11.30am when a group of police officers entered and told the Hindraf leader to stop speaking.
Police gave Sambulingam and the others about 10 minutes to disperse. The activists were arrested when they defied the order.
HRP secretary-general P Uthayakumar told FMT that police have threatened to detain the Hindraf activists for seven days and asked them to hand over their saffron-coloured shirts.
“However, they did not give their shirts. They told the police that our saffron shirt is sacred,” he said.
Meanwhile, at another forum at a community hall at Bandar Baru Air Itam on the island, the police did not barge into the community hall or arrest any Hindraf leaders and activists.
But they managed to stop the forum within minutes of its commencement.
Massive barricade
Earlier, Ganesan got the ball rolling by addressing a few people who defied the police order to attend the forum.
While he was speaking, a group of policemen led by a commander known only as ASP Jamaluddin entered the hall and stopped Ganesan from speaking.
They gave Ganesan and others 10 minutes to disperse to avoid arrest. Ganesan and the rest obeyed and ended the forum.
They then left, but not without loud chants of “Hindraf, Hindraf, Hindraf”.
Using a loud hailer, Jamaluddin also ordered all journalists and cameramen to leave the area immediately.
Earlier, the police formed a massive barricade to prevent anyone from entering the hall. They have also put up blockades and booths along roads leading to the hall. A police notice was pasted outside the hall warning the people not to attend the forum.
The notice stated that the forum was illegal since it was being held without a valid police permit. Police warned they would detain anyone who showed up.
About two hours before the forum started, some police officers have also allegedly intimidated HRP/Hindraf activists to get them to cancel their plans.
When the activists showed their defiance, police began to build up their presence. Residents claimed at least 100 police personnel gathered in the area within an hour.
Another forum is scheduled at 6pm at the Meenakshi Aman Kovil in Simpang Ampat, Seberang Perai.
Political rally
Ganesan said that a police permit was not needed for an indoor forum for the people.
“We are not having a political rally. We duly paid the hall rental and the building management allowed us to organise the forum without any qualms.
“But we have been told not hold the forum and leave the area,” he said.
“Under Article 10 of the Federal Constitution, Malaysian citizens have every right to assemble,” he added.
Ganesan was puzzled why the authorities strongly opposed the anti-Interlok campaign.
“We are actually helping the Umno government to eliminate racism in the country.
“I don’t understand why the government and police are not assisting us,” he told FMT.
Earlier, in his address, Ganesan told the attendees that Interlok had projected the Indians in an undignified and distorted manner.
He said that the novel was reinforcing the stereotyped portrayal of Indians in the country as “dark, oily and scraggy community of low life”.
“Interlok must not be seen as an isolated case. It’s part of Umno government’s racist agenda to demean and degrade the Indian poor.
“The racist perpetrators want to ensure that the Indian poor will forever remain oppressed, suppressed and subservient to the Umno regime,” said Ganesan.
He also attributed the low turnout to the heavy police presence since morning.
“It’s a serious violation of human rights. Why must the police stop us from speaking to a small crowd in a peaceful manner?
“It’s a high-handed tactics of Umno regime to instil fear into us and the Indian poor.”

HRP President & Hindraf Coordinator W.Sambulingam & Kedah Chief R.Ramu arrested on End UMNO racism forum@ Lunas,Kedah

Latest News Flash: More than 40 policemen surround Farlin Hall! Police to arrest HINDRAF/HRP at Penang Forum at 2pm on OCPD’s orders.

In Penang at the Dewan Serbaguna Farlin where our forum is scheduled at 2pm, the police started their frolic. The police came this morning under a mandore Isp.Ravindra and stuck notices around the building that the police permit has been denied for the forum and anyone who attends it action will be taken on them. This is on a unsigned piace of A4 paper and not on police letterhead.

This is totally in violation in the guarantees provided under Article 10 – Freedom of Assembly. Why are they disallowing this small gathering when there was a large gathering in Kedah of 30,000 people? Is this because Indians are soft target that the UMNO led government continue to bully us?

Let it be known that we will continue with the forum because its within our Constitutional Rights. Any further action the police take will be absolutely violation of our rights. 12 noon Farlin.

Naragan

HRP vows to continue with its protest

Human Rights Party (HRP) will still carry on with their 'People's March in Solidarity Against Umno's Racism' on Feb 27, despite the crackdown last weekend.

Last Sunday, the police detained nationwide at least 59 people travelling Hindraf convoys with allegations rough treatment by police.

"We are sticking to the plan and there is no turning back," HRP information chief S Jayathas told Malaysiakini when contacted today.

He said that the march would be neither postponed nor cancelled because Article 10 of the federal constitution guarantees freedom of speech and expression.

He also said that there are no changes of plans and that the meeting point will still remain KLCC.

"I call for all, everyone who thinks that Umno is racist and if they really want to make a difference. A change in Malaysia," Jayathas (left) added.

Action plans all laid out

HRP will be holding several forums on 'Interlok' in major cities before the march and leaflets are still being distributed nationwide.

On any response from Inspector General Police Ismail Omar regarding their application for a police permit submitted on Feb 11, Jayathas said:

"No, we have not heard from the IGP yet. But we do know that on the scheduled day, there will be other agents that will provoke us," he said.

On the 'Interlok' novel Jayathas said HRP will take the issue to the United Nations on Tuesday .

Clash of differing perceptions

The issue first broke out at the end of last year when Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department T Murugiah protested against 'Interlok' after his ministry had discussed the novel with Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.

The MIC had also called for change the work before the book is used as a literature textbook, as it contains a chapter offensive to Indians.

Indian NGOs decry the book's description of Indians in Malaysia as being from the lower caste, among other racial stereotypes.

Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had announced on Jan 27 that the novel will remain as the textbook for the literature component of the Bahasa Malaysia subject for Form Five, but with amendments to those parts deemed offensive to the Indian community.

There has been endless protest since then.