Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Malaysia police detain dozens of Indian protesters
Members of Malaysia's Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF)
shout slogans during a rally against racism in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,
Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011.
shout slogans during a rally against racism in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,
Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011.
(The Associated Press) Malaysian police arrested dozens of ethnic Indians on Sunday in a clampdown on a protest against a high school literature book that was slammed for denigrating the minority community.
Police set up roadblocks in the country's biggest city, Kuala Lumpur, amid tight security around the landmark Petronas Twin Towers, where the protest was to be held.
The main protest leader, lawyer P.Uthayakumar, was among those rounded up early Sunday as he was leaving home, said his colleague S.Jayathas, who also was detained. He said more than 100 Indians were believed to have been picked up.
Some 50 protesters who managed to escape the police dragnet gathered at a temple in the city, holding banners and shouting "Ban Interlok" and "Don't insult the Indian community" before dispersing.
"We want a stop to racism against minority citizens, especially the Indian poor, and a ban on Interlok, which is sowing the seeds of racism in schoolchildren. We are not asking for special rights but equal opportunity," Jayathas told The Associated Press from police detention.
Police could not be immediately reached for comment. They earlier refused to issue a permit for the rally on grounds that it could jeopardize security and public order.
Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein has accused protesters of trying to stir anti-government rallies similar to those in the Middle East, ahead of general elections widely expected to be held this year.
The Malay-language novel "Interlok" was assigned as a literature textbook for 17-year-old students this year. First published in 1971, it tells the stories of three families - Malay, Chinese and Indian, reflecting Malaysia's main ethnic groups - in British colonial times.
Some Indians complained about a portion of the book involving a poor man from India's "Pariah caste" who migrates to the country to find work and is surprised at the absence of a caste system. They say it unfairly depicts Indians, who make up about 8 percent of Malaysia's 28 million people, as coming from inferior communities and contributes to ethnic tension and discrimination.
Under the Indian caste system, Hindus are divided into four main castes according to their line of work. Although the system is banned in India, it is still practiced in villages. Malaysian Indians continue with most traditions of their ancestors, but the caste system is largely obsolete here.
Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/02/27/2685196/malaysia-police-detain-dozens.html#ixzz1FAZPpw00
Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/02/27/2685196/malaysia-police-detain-dozens.html#ixzz1FAZPpw00
Evening updates
(Monday 28.02.11) 12.20am Our supporters are now heading to Bkt Jalil police station to show their solidarity with the 12 arrested members
_______________________________________________________________________________
Police is playing a game with us. The 14 arrested earlier in Jinjang have been taken to Jalan Dang Wangi Police station. Our people are now heading to Dang Wangi to lend support to our other brothers ans sisters there.
Try as they main with their mighty show of strength which is highly questionable on the lawfulness or reasonable use of force by the police semi column fail to check the equally determined small group of peaceful protesters who refuse to be silence on their believes and have successfully shown at the international level of a hypocritical PM who had the bear face cheek to criticize the LIBYAN colonel using unjustified force again his citizen yet resorted to the same show of violent and racist behaviour.
10.10am The 4 in Putrajaya have been released and are making their way to join the rest in Jinjang. Now left 14 more in Jinjang. Our people's spirits are very high. we have proven to UMNO that they are truly a racist regime.
9.00pm Uthayakumar is now at the Jinjang Police station fighting for the release of 12 Hindraf well wishers who were arrested when they were about to hold the candle light vigil.
8.30pm 4 more Hindraf leaders, Jayathas Hindraf Chief, Ramesh Ipoh chief Selvam selangor chief and Captain Bala have been taken to Putrajaya Police station. Thier status is unknown and our Selangor team have made thier way to Putrajaya. In the interim our Supporters have regrouped in Jinjang temple.
Please send sms's to all Indians to come to come to Jinjang Police station now and we will hold our peaceful protest on interlok and demand for the release of Hindraf leaders.
5.40pm Uthayakumar is in IPD Sentul. He was arrested because of the illegal gathering and trying to organise HINDRAF Rally. With him at the IPD is Perak HRP chief Ramesh and Kedah Chief Ramu. He has asked inspector Shaharudin, the arresting officer to lodge a report on my unlawful arrest, abuse of police power and racism of the UMNO government against the Indian poor of Malaysia article 8,10 and 12 of the federal constitution. The struggle continues .
Manoharan Malayalam just came to Jinjang. I have advised him to particularly look into the welfare of Sambu and Selvan who are badly injured. He would insist that police take them to the hospital.
The Police is threatening to divide the arrested into 2. This is so that the groups that are gathered is also divided. But our guys have been advised to stay put at same place jinjang. Please call all your friends to come to jinjang to hold the candle vigil all nite long.
4.37 pm
The crowd awaiting release of Sambulingam, Jayathas, Selvam and the rest. The crowd motivating itself to secure the release the trio. They will have candle vigil till everyone is released in Jinjang Balai.
LIVE hindraf Rally 2011
3.50pm
Hindraf supporters are continuing their demo in front of the Balai Jinjang.
3.30pm
Among 102 Hindraf members which been arrested in Pulapol, 17 leaders still under investigation and the rest was released.
12.13pm
Negeri Sembilan HINDRAF chief Sivakumar and Raja arrested near Kepong.
About 1000 people at Pudu station. PKR mandore Thiruvengadam trying to hijack the show. Police are ready to fire tear gas n water cannon.
12.48pm
Sambu the Hindraf national coordinator n kalai penang coordinator badly injured. Perak citizen journalist veera also injured.
11.37am
Mr.Naragan Penang coordinator is arrested
Now the Hindraf Human Rights Defender caring the huge Anti Interlok Banner
300 + arrested so far. Regrouping at Kottumalai pillayar temple, Puduraya.9.31am
In the presence of the press Hindraf coordinator S.Sambulingam and Selangor Chief Selvam was arrested
9.24am
Jayathas been arrested
POLICE are targetting key hindraf leaders. more than 80 arrested thus far. including citizen journalists.
9.00 am
Kalai from Penang was arrested and the OKU(orang kurang upaya) arrested as well.
8.59 am
Taxi Raja was arrested
8.57am
Mathavan and Tiaga was arrested
8.55 am
Ipoh Ramesh arrested taking him to police station
8.43 am
Police are arresting Hindraf leaders separately as they leave their houses and hotels
8.40am
The Orang Kurang Upaya are arrived in the scene
8.35am
Ipoh Hindraf members 38 arrested
8.30am
1 Kedah Bus is stopped. Police taking their IC numbers. Theother 2 buses escaped and on their way. !2 cars from kedah are also making their way.
8.00am
Uthayakumar Arrested from his House as we was leaving to KLCC.
February 27th, 2011 | Author s.jayathas
He currently taken to the IPK Police Station. (in front of Jalan Hang Tuah).
Inspector Saharuddin arrested Mr P Uthayakumar early this morning.
7.45am
around 10 hindraf supporters had their IC's checked near KLCC area. The area still quiet.
6.05am
Its 6.05 am in Malaysia. Let us start the day with prayers to the almighty to guide us all in our peaceful struggle today. May he be with us all.
Beware : UMNO Police is using Similar Poster Used by Hindraf / HRP to Group at Stadium
Hi Brother / Sister Please beware that the Police is using Hindraf / HRP People’s March poster and sending out SMS and email to gather in Stadium KL. PLEASE IGNORE IT. We will meet in KLCC at 9:00 am on 27 Feb 2011. Please come thru Jalan Ampang passing by Renaissance Hotel towards KLCC.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Interlok rally: Police must respect right to peaceful assembly, says Kula
According to media reports, the Dang Wangi police has rejected the Human Rights Party's (HRP) application for a permit to carry out a peaceful march against the novel Interlok on Sunday.The party has on Feb 11 submitted the necessary application to the police for a permit. I call on the police to respect the people’s constitutional right to peaceful assembly and approve the application to protest the Interlok novel.
The Interlok issue hurt the Indian community yet the Government has not shown the political will to quickly resolve the issue.
The Education Minister’s announcement on Jan 27 that the novel would remain as the textbook for Form Five, but with amendments to those parts deemed offensive by the Indian community is not an acceptable solution.
It is puzzling how a book that is so controversial and hurtful to the Indian community could not be withdrawn.
Centre for Policy Initiatives (CPI) director Lim Teck Ghee has added his voice to calls for the novel Interlok to be removed from the Form Five Malay literature syllabus due to its perpetuation of “offensive stereotyping” of minorities.
The former academician-turned-social activist said some may be tempted to invoke freedom of expression to justify maintaining the book as required reading in secondary schools.
That same “freedom to offend” would not, however, be granted if the offence were against Malays, he noted. It is most unfair that the government has not done what should be done – to withdraw the book as a school text book.
As for me, it will be doubly unfair if people who exercise their constitutional right of peaceful assembly to protest against the novel are denied such rights.
- M Kulasegaran is the DAP MP for Ipoh Barat
HRP rally to proceed tomorrow despite no permit
The Human Rights Party-planned rally will still continue tomorrow despite the red light from the police and the government.
“It's still on. There are no changes,” said information chief S Jayathas.
When speaking to Malaysiakini, he said that the government had repeatedly rejected their applications for a police permit.
Jayathas said that letters have been sent to the inspector-general of police, the Home Ministry as well as the Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak himself.
“There is no response from any of them,” he said.
Undeterred, HRP is taking to the streets of Kuala Lumpur tomorrow morning in a battle which they had hoped to be a repeat of the November 2007 Hindraf rally which saw 30,000 protestors.
Back then, the Hindu Rights Action Force had organised one of the biggest demonstrations in the nation's capital in recent times, a culmination of long-standing Indian dissatisfaction over marginalisation.
Hindraf was subsequently banned with five of its leaders detained under the Internal Security Act. They have all since been released and some have gone on to rebrand themselves as HRP.
But conceding that tomorrow's event may not attract as much participation as the historic 2007 rally, organisers are more conservative with their expectation.
Jayathas said that they hoping that “two or three thousand” would come out to protest against what they claim, “institutionalised racism in Malaysia for the past 56 years”.
“The Indians are systematically denied minority rights. Malaysia is the most racist country in the world. Apartheid has already ended in South Africa but we still have it in Malaysia.
“We're not asking for special rights but we just want equal opportunity,” he said.
Police: Protest at your own peril
Despite much build-up to the rally, the police have repeatedly issued stern warnings against the party and would-be protestors.
The Kuala Lumpur police chief Zulkefli Abdullah also insisted that no permit will be issued for the public gathering.
“I think I have made myself very clear in my statement (sent two days ago),” he said when contacted by Malaysiakini.
On Thursday, he had said legal action would be taken against anyone involved in the gathering, but the police would consider issuing a permit if the HRP were to move their rally indoors where there is no “likelihood of a situation being created that would jeopardise public order”.
HRP plans to march tomorrow from Jalan Sultan Ismail to the KL city centre, where they will lodge a police report at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters against Umno over the party's 'racism'.
“It's still on. There are no changes,” said information chief S Jayathas.When speaking to Malaysiakini, he said that the government had repeatedly rejected their applications for a police permit.
Jayathas said that letters have been sent to the inspector-general of police, the Home Ministry as well as the Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak himself.
“There is no response from any of them,” he said.
Undeterred, HRP is taking to the streets of Kuala Lumpur tomorrow morning in a battle which they had hoped to be a repeat of the November 2007 Hindraf rally which saw 30,000 protestors.
Back then, the Hindu Rights Action Force had organised one of the biggest demonstrations in the nation's capital in recent times, a culmination of long-standing Indian dissatisfaction over marginalisation.
Hindraf was subsequently banned with five of its leaders detained under the Internal Security Act. They have all since been released and some have gone on to rebrand themselves as HRP.
But conceding that tomorrow's event may not attract as much participation as the historic 2007 rally, organisers are more conservative with their expectation.Jayathas said that they hoping that “two or three thousand” would come out to protest against what they claim, “institutionalised racism in Malaysia for the past 56 years”.
“The Indians are systematically denied minority rights. Malaysia is the most racist country in the world. Apartheid has already ended in South Africa but we still have it in Malaysia.
“We're not asking for special rights but we just want equal opportunity,” he said.
Police: Protest at your own peril
Despite much build-up to the rally, the police have repeatedly issued stern warnings against the party and would-be protestors.
The Kuala Lumpur police chief Zulkefli Abdullah also insisted that no permit will be issued for the public gathering.“I think I have made myself very clear in my statement (sent two days ago),” he said when contacted by Malaysiakini.
On Thursday, he had said legal action would be taken against anyone involved in the gathering, but the police would consider issuing a permit if the HRP were to move their rally indoors where there is no “likelihood of a situation being created that would jeopardise public order”.
HRP plans to march tomorrow from Jalan Sultan Ismail to the KL city centre, where they will lodge a police report at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters against Umno over the party's 'racism'.
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