P.Uthayakumar finally released

Malaysia police detain dozens of Indian protesters

Lai Seng Sin

Members of Malaysia's Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) 
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.

7.35 pm Sambu, Thiaga, Naragan and P.Uthayakumar are released. Negeri Sembilan chief Sivakumar and Taxi Rajah were arrested again

7.10pm Our people been arrested in front of balai Jinjang. Stay with us

Join  http://www.facebook.com/?tid=1444435530673&sk=messages#!/home.php?sk=group_139295062791222&ap=1http://www.facebook.com/?tid=1444435530673&sk=messages#!/home.php?sk=group_139295062791222&ap=1  for further updates

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.

Hindraf- President Waythamoorthy addressing ground supporters LIVE 

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.

Rally 2011 video KL

Rally in KL city

Alternative

SITE that any hacking will be dicert a new site in www.worldfone.co.uk

Rally Arrest

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

Our people are now heading towards jinjang Police station where Uthaya is held. please direct all to head to jinjang police station

Now the Hindraf Human Rights Defender caring the huge Anti Interlok Banner

Approximately 200 people gathered in Kottumalai Pillayar, Pudu Raya. Redirect everyone to Kottumalai.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.

Live hindraf Rally 2011

Watch live video from hindraf on Justin.tv

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.

Bus been blocked in JB

Hindraf Rally Eve 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'.

Another 1 day for the rally

Emergency Contact Detail On 27 Feb 2011

Dear friends
These are the do’s and don’ts for the 27^th Feb March against UMNO Racism

• Bring your digital camera with back up batteries
• Bring a 2-litre bottle of water at least
• Bring a towel to cover your face in event of tear gas
• Bring a small packet of salt

Look out for suspicious agent provocateurs. They may be Malays or even Indian mandores who are thugs hired by UMNO to disrupt our peaceful March
Should you see someone behaving/acting/ uttering words which are provocative; make sure you take a photograph or video of him/her. This would be evidence, which we may use to show the international community of how UMNO operates.
Similarly if you see Police or plain clothes Policemen attacking our fellow brothers and sisters, make sure you take photographs and videos. Be careful as the UMNO thugs ie the 3line and Pekida thugs may pose as plain-clothes policemen. Do not near them. Keep away and alert others on the presence of these suspicious characters. Remember we want your photos/videos.
If you subscribe to broadband on your phone then send your photos, short videos to Hindraf3@gmail .com and we would immediately upload the photos/ videos. Keep sending the photos as we would be constantly uploading them. Let us know what is happening on the ground as we would update in our sites. Hindraf and HRP would cover the event LIVE on our websites.
If you witness an incident that needs to be recorded and disseminated to others, then sms your message to or call 0102733644 or 0163507189
Our Hindraf reps would give the necessary guides on the march or any other further directions as situation may deem fit.
In the event of the main Hindraf leaders arrested immediately before or during the rally, do not worry and do not be mislead by Political opportunists/Mandores both from BN or PR who may hijack and divert you. We have sufficient back up leaders who would give the necessary instructions.
Be wary of Police SB and their agents who may create confusion and divert the true intentions of our March.
FOR ALL INQUIRIES/DIRECTION OR EMERGENCY CONTACT . 0102733644 or 0163507189
There would also be a 24-hour command centre both in KL and London to answer your calls.
SHOULD THE MALAYSIAN NUMBERS HAVE ANY UNEXPLAINABLE PROBLEMS GIVE US A MISS CALL ON 00447502441210 AND WE WILL RETURN YOUR CALL.
THIS IS A HINDRAF PEACEFUL MARCH AGAINST UMNO RACISM. DO NOT ALLOW ANY POLITICIAN TO HIJACK THE CAUSE.
Let us all UNITE TO MARCH AGAINST UMNO’S 54 YEARS OF INSTITUTIONALISED RACISM.
Please disseminate this information to as many people that you know.
P.Waytha Moorthy

THE SALT MARCH, MARCH ON WASHINGTON, LONG WALK TO FREEDOM AND FREEDOM MARCH! By: Iraiputtiran

My dear learned Minister of Education! You have made a grave mistake by deciding to retain Interlok as the compulsory reading for Form Five Malay literature! I can bet my last Ringgit Malaysia that you had not read the book thus far nor have you sufficient knowledge on literary analysis. I am also without a trace of doubt in my mind believe that your decision to retain Interlok in the national curriculum was purely driven by the deeply rooted racism and selfishness in you as a true UMNO beneficiary of the NEP system that seems to have fattened you up quite generously! You have failed miserably to feel the pulse of the nation, especially that of the Indians whom you have insulted, denigrated, and caused to grieve just to satisfy your lust for a false sense of UMNO Supremacy by retaining Interlok! How dare you call us “PARIAH!” Mr Deputy Prime Minister, take a hard look in the mirror and note the blemishes within you and your UMNO Masters! Pause for a second and think of the greed, lust, cravings, arrogance, racism, bigotism and hatred you and your UMNO Masters have developed in the minds of the innocent public against the Indians (and Chinese) to the detriments of this multiracial nation!

Indians have spoken at great length, engaged in dialogues, written in volumes, burnt the novel, and politely requested … your UMNO government to drop the book from the school curriculum! And yet, your UMNO Malay supremacy and religious bigotry-infected sadist and atrocious mind has decided to keep the novel in order for your RACISTS UMNOputras to continue to denigrate, dishonor and disgrace the Indians and finally kill their self-esteem and have their dignity destroyed! All that so that you can have a continuous supply of cheap slavery to do the most menial jobs in future, lower than what the illegal-made-legal Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indonesian laborers do! You hope that through your 54 years of socially engineered strategies to severely marginalise and finally massacre the Indians on this land, those who could not withstand the agony would finally leave the country just as your UMNOputras constantly remind us to “Balik… somewhere” or for survival will succumb to your Islamisation and convert and submissively bow to you in servitude!

You and your UMNOputras are dead wrong! We are here! We will neither bow nor submit to your RACISM AND BIGOTISM! We will not flee this country leaving behind the vulnerable ones to be made your preys! We will BATTLE THIS WAR OF RACISM TILL THE LAST DROP OF OUR BLOOD!

You can exploit the equally contaminated police force to instill fear, intimidate, arrest and imprison us! Your stone walls do not make a prison nor iron bars a cage! You can silence our dissent, but not our spirit! We will fight! We have no arms, artilleries or weapons like you! We will battle it with our soul and spirit, with human conscience! Ours is a non-violent battle purely driven by our earnest quest to seek fairness, equality and justice against your UMNO RACISM of 54 years!

Like The Salt March, March on Washington, Long Walk to Freedom and Freedom March, the People’s March will unfold a new dawn in the lives of those who have been denied justice and their rights as lawful citizens in this country by UMNO RACISM! Gandhi’s Salt March may have taken 17 years to gain independence for India, Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom may have taken 20 year of his life, the Freedom Marches may have endured extreme pain threading 966 kilometers from Glasgow to London, and the March on Washington may have taken place 100 years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation…. but the people’s power won the battles in the end! So will we! So will we!

The People’s March, Solidarity Against UMNO Racism will bury UMNO’s RACISM! 27 March 2011, KLCC, 9.00 am! The people will march for THE PEOPLE’S MARCH!

Allow anti-racism march, US group tells Hisham

The government's decision to deny Hindraf the right to peaceful assembly has made a mockery of Malaysia's place at the UN Human Rights Council.

KOTA KINABALU: New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) has asked Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to respect Malaysia’s international and legal obligations and allow Sunday’s Solidarity March Against Racism to proceed.

HRW’s deputy Asia director, Phil Robertson, called on Hishammuddin to overturn a decision by the police to deny a permit for the march in Kuala Lumpur, saying that the organisers on their part should ensure that the walk is carried out in an orderly and peaceful manner.

“The Malaysian government’s opposition to peaceful marches results in three big losers: the rights to free expression, freedom of association, and peaceful assembly.

“The Malaysian government’s commitment to diversity and development is betrayed when it refuses to permit peaceful criticism of its policies and programmes.

“Banning this march makes a mockery of the principles the government pledged to uphold when it assumed its seat on the United Nation’s Human Rights Council,” Robertson said in press statement.

The march is being organised by two ethnic Indian rights groups, the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) and the Human Rights Party (HRP).

On Feb 24, the Dang Wangi police rejected a formal request made by W Sambulingam, national coordinator of Hindraf.

The Sundary march is in reaction to a government’s decision to assign the novel Interlok as a literature textbook for Form Five students.

The novel by national laureate Abdullah Hussain, which was first published in 1971 and revised in 2010, involves relations among ethnic Malays, Chinese, and Indians from the early 1900s through 1957.

The Malaysian Indian community contends that the book disparages Indians and contributes to ethnic tensions and discrimination in educational and employment opportunities for ethnic Indian Malaysians.

No permit

Meanwhile, the anticipated route for the Sunday march is from Kuala Lumpur’s iconic Petronas Towers to the Dang Wangi police station, where participants will attempt to lodge complaints against the government.

Hishammuddin had earlier said that Hindraf would not get a police permit to march.

“It is a banned movement… It doesn’t have locus standi to ask for a permit,” he said.

The government banned the group after it staged a massive demonstration in Kuala Lumpur in 2007.

HRP has applied for registration; however, its application is still pending.

The government has already cracked down on the HRP’s right to peaceful assembly.

On Feb 13, two weeks before the scheduled march, HRP initiated a grassroots information and recruitment drive in several states, dispatching convoys of cars loaded with activists wearing the group’s distinctive orange T-shirts and carrying posters, banners, and assorted promotional materials to various locales.

Police, however, stopped the convoys at roadblocks and diverted participants to police stations, where many were detained.

The police arrested at least 59 people on various grounds. In one instance, participants were held for driving in a convoy without a permit.

In other instances, police charged the activists with illegal assembly, interference with on-duty officers, obstructing traffic, and moving in a large group in a busy area.

Some participants, held overnight, were offered their freedom if they gave up their orange T-shirts, but when it became clear they would not do so, they were released on bail.

Police clampdown

On Feb 20, police in three locations broke up HRP forums designed to explain the group’s concerns about certain issues and to continue membership recruitment. The police claimed that permission to hold the forums had been denied.

HRP leaders were among some 59 arrested. Eventually all were released on bail.

In a further pre-emptive move, M Gobalakrishnan, the person named on fliers as the contact for further information in Hulu Selangor, was picked up at his home by six plainclothes officers and detained hours before the local meeting was to begin.

Police also sealed off the forum site. Gobalakrishnan has since been released.

In November 2007, between 10,000 and 30,000 people participated in the first Hindraf-organised demonstration.

The then prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi reportedly said that Hindraf leaders undermined national security by threatening racial and religious harmony.

Following the protest, the government detained five Hindraf leaders under the Internal Security Act (ISA), and banned Hindraf.

The HRP’s application for registration, though pending with the Registrar of Societies, will likely face difficulties because of its association with Hindraf.

Physically disable people all geared up for the Historical “People’s March against UMNO’s RACISM” in Malaysia.

MALAYSIAN be united regardless race to fight racism implanted and sowed by the authoritarian UMNO led Malaysian government to enhance race segregation and racism in the educational curriculum. Be there…

‘Najib’s Makkal Sakti to hijack rally’

Hindraf claims that RS Thanenthiran's party has been given the green light to hold a rally at the same venue on Sunday.

GEORGE TOWN: Hindraf Makkal Sakti has accused the police of conspiring with Umno to hijack its anti-racism rally on Sunday.

The movement claimed that the police had issued a permit to RS Thanenthiran’s Malaysia Makkal Sakti Party (MMSP) to hold a separate rally at the same venue, the Kuala Lumpur City Centre.

In a posting on its website, Hindraf labelled MMSP as Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s “Makkal Sakti” and published a photograph of Thanenthiran tying a sash bearing the words “Wira Makkal Sakti” around Najib.

On Feb 9, Hindraf said that it had submitted an application for a police permit to the Dang Wangi district police headquarters.

“When a policeman arrived at our headquarters to serve the letter of rejection on the application, we saw Najib’s MMSP letterhead in his file. But we did not enquire about it,” it stated.

However, Hindraf claimed that it received information from reliable sources two hours later that MMSP was granted the permit instead.

“Obviously the police, its intelligence unit, Najib and Umno have conspired to pit one Indian organisation against another.

“They are plotting to arrest the real Hindraf leaders, and hand over the initiative to MMSP to hijack Hindraf’s rally and confuse the public,” the movement alleged.

Reminiscent of 2007

Contacted later, Hindraf chairman P Waytha Moorthy claimed that it was reminiscent of Hindraf’s mammoth rally in 2007.

He alleged that the police planted a “special branch E3M officer with the rank of ASP” in the movement’s leadership before the Nov 25 rally that year.

Waytha Moorthy claimed that the move was part of an operation known as “Ops Padam Hindraf” to divide the movement.

In the follow-up action, he claimed that some Hindraf newcomers were “turned over” by the authorities to form and lead MMSP.

“Backed by unlimited government funds, they used the print and electronic media, including mainstream Tamil dailies, to execute their political ploy,” he said.

“Back then, we were not prepared with our second line of leadership. But today we are,” he added.

Meanwhile, some local professionals had formed an ad-hoc 10-member group called “Friends of Hindraf” to deal with several issues, such as possible arrests on Sunday.

The legal team is headed by Hindraf lawyer and DAP’s Kota Alam Shah assemblyman M Manoharan.

In Hindraf march, fears of Middle East contagion

Hindraf’s 2007 protest was widely believed to have contributed to BN’s Election 2008 reversal. — Reuters pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25 — As protests in the Middle East topple regimes and spark violence, the government is taking no chances and has warned it will come down hard on the planned gathering by Indian rights group Hindraf here this Sunday.

Although the group’s influence appears to have waned after being plagued by internal bickering and claims of infiltration by the Special Branch, police have refused to grant Hindraf a permit to hold the demonstration to voice Indian outrage over the use of the “Interlok” novel in schools.

The wave of protests that ousted the presidents of Tunisia and Egypt, has also spread to India where tens of thousands gathered to protest against rising food prices earlier this week.

With Libya now facing a bloody showdown between its ruler Muammar Gaddafi and opposition figures, Barisan Nasional (BN) has both political and security reasons to clamp down on any public gathering, which may escalate if left unchecked.

The Malaysian Insider understands that the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar will meet with leaders of Indian NGOs and MIC this evening to discuss security issues ahead of Sunday’s rally.

Sources said that MIC, who will have to justify any police action to its political constituents, will ask the police chief not to “come down hard as it will only make matters worse.”

Uthayakumar (left) said authorities feared this Sunday’s protest. — Reuters pic

“They fear that we could be the light that sparks the prairie fire,” Hindraf founder and legal advisor P. Uthayakumar told The Malaysian Insider.
 
Both Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin have stressed repeatedly that the political upheavals in the Arab world have no bearing on Malaysia.

“Those that lead these illegal actions must be dealt with sternly and I will leave it to the police to act,” Muhyiddin had told the press yesterday, when asked about Hindraf’s “anti-racism” march this weekend.
But just as it did in 2007 — prior to the March 2008 general election — Hindraf will defy police orders and gather at KLCC on Sunday. National polls are also expected to be called later this year.
Uthayakumar does not expect this weekend’s gathering to match the claimed crowd of 30,000 in 2007.

But he said that as Hindraf has “stepped up a notch from just fighting against being marginalised to attacking Umno’s racism,” the dominant Malay party will feel just as threatened as four years ago.
Political analyst Agus Yusoff said the timing of the rally, in what will likely be an election year, was akin to “political blackmail.”

“They did the same in 2007, so the strategy is that if the authorities clamp down hard, it will fuel more anger but if they don’t then it will encourage further protests,” he said.
The Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia professor said even though the issue of “Interlok” being used as part of the Malay literature syllabus concerns one race, in the context of large-scale demonstrations elsewhere, there was a risk of escalating tensions.

“What if Malay groups like Perkasa retaliate, and so on and so forth?” he asked The Malaysian Insider.
PKR’s Selangor executive councillor Xavier Jeyakumar said that with Najib having just promoted Malaysia as a model Muslim country, he cannot afford for a popular uprising to occur now.
“There is a lot of unhappiness across all communities that is just not being expressed openly. But Hindraf may trigger it and cause a chain reaction so Najib will be keen to nip it in the bud,” he added.

Malaysia: Allow Anti-Racism March

End Harassment of Peaceful Demonstrators

(New York, February 25, 2011) – Malaysia’s home affairs minister should overturn a decision by local police to deny a permit for the Solidarity March Against Racism sponsored by two ethnic Indian rights groups, Human Rights Watch said today. On February 24, 2011, the Dang Wangi police  rejected a formal request made on February 11 by W. Sambulingam, national coordinator of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), to permit the march.

“Malaysian government opposition to peaceful marches results in three big losers: the rights to free expression, freedom of association, and peaceful assembly,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The home affairs minister should respect Malaysia’s international legal obligations and permit the march to proceed, and the organizers should ensure that the march is orderly and peaceful.”

The February 27 march is in reaction to a government decision to assign the novel Interlok as a literature textbook for fifth form students, most in their late teens, in some public schools. The novel by Abdullah Hussain, first published in 1971 and revised in 2010, involves relations among ethnic Malays, Chinese, and Indians from the early 1900s through 1957. Members of the Indian community contend that the book disparages Indians and contributes to ethnic tensions and discrimination in educational and employment opportunities for ethnic Indian Malaysians.

The anticipated route for the march is from Kuala Lumpur’s iconic Petronas Towers to the Dang Wangi police station, where participants will attempt to lodge complaints against the prime minister and the government. Home Affairs Minister Hishammuddin Husseinearlier had said that Hindraf would not get a police permit to march.

“They are an illegal and banned movement,” he said. “They don’t have locus standi [legal standing] in asking for a permit.”

The government banned the group after a demonstration in 2007. The Hindu Rights Party (HRP) has applied for registration, which is pending.

The government has already cracked down on the HRP's right to peaceful assembly. On February 13, two weeks before the scheduled march, HRP initiated a grassroots information and recruitment drive in several Malaysian states, dispatching convoys of cars loaded with activists wearing the group’s distinctive orange T-shirts and carrying posters, banners,and assorted promotional materials to various locales. Police stopped the convoys at roadblocks and diverted participants to police stations, where many were detained.

The police arrested at least 59 people on various grounds. In one instance, participants were held for driving in a convoy without a permit. In other instances, police charged the activists with illegal assembly, interference with on-duty officers, obstructing traffic, and moving in a large group in a busy area. Some participants, held overnight, were offered their freedom if they gave up their orange T-shirts, but when it became clear they would not do so, they were released on bail.

On February 20, police in three locations broke up HRP forums designed to explain the group’s concerns about certain issues and to continue membership recruitment. The police claimed that permission to hold the forums had been denied. HRP leaders were among some 59 arrested. Ultimately all were released on bail. In a further pre-emptive move, M. Gobalakrishnan, the person named on fliers as the contact for further information in Hulu Selangor, was picked up at his home by six plainclothes officers hours before the local meeting was to begin and arrested. Police also sealed off the forum site. Gobalakrishnan has since been released.

In November 2007, between 10,000 and 30,000 people participated in the first Hindraf-organized demonstration. The prime minister at that time, Abdullah Badawi, reportedly said that Hindraf leaders undermined national security by threatening racial and religious harmony. Following the protest, the government detained five Hindraf leaders under the Internal Security Act (ISA), and banned Hindraf. The HRP’s application for registration, though pending with the Registrar of Societies, will likely face significant difficulties because of its association with Hindraf.

“The Malaysian government’s commitment to diversity and development is betrayed when it refuses to permit peaceful criticism of its policies and programs,” Robertson said. “Banning this march makes a mockery of the principles the government pledged to uphold when it assumed its seat on the United Nation’s Human Rights Council.”

To read the December 2007 Human Rights Watch news release, “Malaysia: Hindu Rights Activists Detained,” please visit:
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2007/12/17/malaysia-hindu-rights-activists-detained

For more Human Rights Watch reporting on Malaysia, please visit: 
http://www.hrw.org/en/asia/malaysia

For more information, please contact:
In London, Brad Adams (English): +44-20-7713-2767; or +44-7908-728-333 (mobile)
In New York, Mickey Spiegel (English): +1-212-216-1229; or +1-917-968-9937 (mobile)
In Bangkok, Phil Robertson (English, Thai): +66-85-060-8406 (mobile)
In Washington, DC, Sophie Richardson (English, Mandarin): +1-202-612-4341; or +1-917-721-7473 (mobile)

PM: Don’t use violence in Libya (NST headlines 24/2/2011) Similarly Najib Razak must order non violence on Hindraf/HRP peaceful Rally on 27/2/2011 @ KLCC at 9.00a.m.

No.6, Jalan Abdullah, Off Jalan Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur. Tel : 03-2282 5241 Fax: 03-2282 5245
Website: www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com E-mail: info@humanrightspartymalaysia.com

Media Statement (24/2/2011)

PM: Don’t use violence in Libya (NST headlines 24/2/2011) Similarly Najib Razak must order non violence on Hindraf/HRP peaceful Rally on 27/2/2011 @ KLCC at 9.00a.m.
Hindraf and HRP after 50 years of independence and just before the 25^th November 2007 Rally forwarded their Hindraf 18 point demands with particular regards to the Indian poor. But save and except for some cosmetic or wayang kulit showtime mainstream media especially in the three Tamil dailies propaganda, very little has been done to alleviate the 70% of the Malaysian Indians who are living in poverty , hardcore poor and poor Malaysian Indian pain sufferings and the mysery inflicted on them on a day to day basis from womb to tomb by the racist UMNO regime of One Malay-sia.
The latest wayang kulit by UMNO is the UMNO media propaganda last week of supposedly registering thousands from the estimated 450,000 stateless even fifth and sixth generation Malaysian born ethnic Indians. Our question is this supposed registration exercise has been ongoing scores of times in over the last 54 years. But where is the hard results published in the Tamil dailies and the website of the racist UMNO Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara and the Home Ministry of the thousands of these Indian poor being “granted” their Birth Certificates, Identity Cards and Citizenship. Because these thousands were rejected simply because the victims are the defenseless Indian poor.
This example is just the tip of the iceberg of the UMNO regime’s racism and religious supremacy targetted against especially the Indian poor.
Today we have moved beyond the Interlok issue and are up against UMNO racism in the supposed One Malay-sia, the world’s most racist regime by way of our peaceful and non violent Hindraf/HRP Rally on the 27^th February 2011.
We hereby call upon Prime Minister Najib Razak to similarly order police not to use force or violence at this peaceful rally as per the Prime Minister’s call to the Libyan President Ghaddafi as reported in today’s headlines in the New Straits Times!! ‘Don’t use violence’ Gaddafi should heed people’s aspirations, says Najib. (NST 24/2/2011 headlines).
Thank You.
Yours Faithfully,
_____________
P.Uthayakumar
Secretary General (pro tem)

Anti-lnterlok Rally application rejected

‘Interlok a classic work of Malaysian racism’

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.

This, while the controversial novel celebrates the virtues of the Malay race, culture and value system. 

As such, Lim noted, it has led some quarters to see the novel as “the classic Malaysian racist book”. 

In remarks e-mailed to Malaysiakinitoday, 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.

There is concern, furthermore, with the prospect of predominantly Malay literature teachers teaching students the novel and its racially-slanted messages. 

While anger has been expressed mainly by Indian groups and politicians against the negative portrayal of the community in the novel – including the use of the term ‘pariah’ – ire has also been raised on the perpetuation of stereotypes relating to ethnic Chinese.

Stressing against the call for the book to be banned “in the same way in which the government has banned so many other books”, Lim said Interlok should not be in the prescribed literature curriculum and “certainly not let loose on young and impressionistic minds”.

It should be not made an exam text, furthermore, whereby students are liable to be coerced into giving the “officially correct” reading of the novel in their answer papers, and whose correctness is determined by the authorities marking the exam papers.

“This will poison young minds and bring unintended harmful consequences to race relations in the country,” he said.

Lim also questioned why the novel was now being made compulsory and enjoying “political patronage” when it had failed to impress the literati when it was first published in 1971 – four years after the manuscript had languished in obscurity, claimed Lim. 

“It is not unreasonable to deduce that the book’s publication in 1971 was agenda-driven. The political scenario at that time, that is, the 1969 race riots and the introduction of the NEP in the following year, was rapidly evolving and veering to outright Malay nationalism.

“The decision – made only last year – to include Interlok in the reading list, is equally suspect as the 40-year-old book had in the past not got any rave reviews from either the reading public or the writing fraternity,” he added.

Expressing surprise that members of the government panel tasked with reviewing the book for its “offensive bits” had agreed to working under such a limited scope, Lim said the transparency of the exercise was suspect, given that the government had reportedly succumbed to Malay pressure groups in other issues.

“It was not paragraphs or sections of the book that were in question, although there were innumerable instances of racial stereotyping, historical errors and misrepresentation of Chinese and Indian culture and society.

“Instead, it is the sum total of the book that needs to be rejected,” he added.

Although the rejection of the book on grounds of its unsuitability as a school textbook is not part of the terms of reference, he hoped the review panel would have the courage to arrive at this decision in view of the overwhelming evidence presented on the racially offensive overall thrust of the book. 

Whatever the outcome of the review process, Lim challenged cabinet members to read the book – or the translation of the book – and “decide for themselves whether they would permit their own children to be exposed to it.”

Hindraf Rally: Appeal to CPO Kuala Lumpur on UMNO police rejection of Hindrafs’ police permit.

Upon receiving the rejection letter from ACP Mohamad Zulkarnain Bin Abdul Rahman, Ketua Polis Daerah (OCPD), Dang Wangi, Hindraf coordinator W. Sambulingam has instructed Hindraf lawyers to appeal to the Chief Police Officer of Kuala Lumpur for the approval of the police permit for the Hindraf Rally at KLCC on 27/2/2011 at 9.00 am.
S. Jayathas

Hindraf Rally planned to be hijacked by Najib Makkal Sakthi Party, UMNO and Police Special Branch.

The Police Special Branch &UMNO plot grants police permit to Najib Makkal Sakthi Party MMSP- to confuse and hijack this Hindraf Rally after arresting the real Hindraf & HRP leaders.

This morning we received a phone call that the Najib Makkal Sakthi Party or MMSP has applied for a permit also for the 27th Feb 2011 Hindraf Rally at KLCC at 9.00a.am.

When Lans Constable Mohammad arrived at our HRP HQ at 12.00p.m. to serve the Letter of rejection of police permit on HRP CEC Member S.Thiagarajan we saw the Najib MMSP letterhead in his file but did not ask why.

At about 2.00p.m. we received a phone call from one of our supporters that the Hindraf Rally police permit has been issued to Najib’s MMSP and not to the real applicants ie Hindraf and HRP.

If true, we believe that this is a top Police Special Branch and UMNO conspiracy to arrest the real Hindraf and HRP leaders way before the 27th Feb Hindraf Rally, create confusion and allow the Najib Makkal Sakthi UMNO Indian mandores hijack the 27th Feb 2011 Hindraf Rally.

Just as they did in the post 25th November 2007 Hindraf Rally by planting even a police Special Branch E3M ASP to emerge as one of the five Hindraf leaders under Ops Padam Hindraf especially to confuse and divide Hindraf. And then turning over the then Hindraf newcomers to lead the Najib Makkal Sakthi Party which was hastily approved within two weeks. We then were not ready with our second line leadership. But today we are.

With unlimited government funds, the Police top special Branch brains and the full UMNO government machinery, UMNO succeeded to a great extent in creating confusion, dividing and weakening Hindraf using their print and electronic media and the three Tamil dailies.

But today we can see through UMNO, their Special Branch planners and plotters and the UMNO Indian mandores. All what we can say at this juncture is today we are far better prepared.

‘Pisang tidak akan berbuah dua kali”.

And 100% of the blame should any untoward incident happen on 27th Feb 2011 Hindraf Rally would squarely be on UMNO and their police Special Branch Operatives, Perkasa, Pekida, UMNOs’ underworld Tiga Line and UMNOs’ Indian mandore gangsters.

Rights Not Mercy.

Karunai Nithi @ Compassionate Justice

24/2/2011

Video: UMNO’s CPO must allow HINDRAF Solidarity March

500 over Hindraf Supporters & Public demand release of Activists in IPD Jawi,Penang!

Statement by Dublin’s Frontline Defenders in Support of Human Rights Defenders from HINDRAF.

Hindraf Makkal Sakthi has applied for police permit for 27th February 2011 Hindraf Rally contrary to media statements by Home Minister and IGP

No.6, Jalan Abdullah, Off Jalan Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur. Tel : 03-2282 5241 Fax: 03-2282 5245 Website: www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com E-mail: info@humanrightspartymalaysia.com
Your Reference :
In Reply : MISC/February/2011
Date : 23/2/2011

YAB. Dato Seri Najib Razak
Prime Minister of Malaysia,
Blok Utama Bangunan Perdana Putra,
Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan, Fax: 03-88883444
62502 Putrajaya E-Mail: najib@pmo.gov.my
By Hand
Y.B Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein,
Menteri Kementerian Dalam Negeri,
Kementerian Dalam Negeri,
Blok D1 & D2, Kompleks D,
Pusat Pentadbiran,
Kerajaan Persekutuan, Fax: 03-2693 3131
62546 Putrajaya E-Mail: menteri@moha.gov.my
By Hand
Tan Sri Haji Ismail bin Haji Omar,
Ketua Polis Negara,
Ibu Pejabat Polis Diraja,
Malaysia,
Bukit Aman, Fax: 03-20707500 50560 Kuala Lumpur E-Mail: kpn@rmp.gov.my
By Hand
Dear sirs,

Re : Hindraf Makkal Sakthi has applied for police permit for 27^th February 2011 Hindraf Rally contrary to media statements by Home Minister and IGP

We refer to the above matter and to the news report in The Sun 17/02/2011 of page 2 titled “ Hisham : No application for rally permit “ and The Sun 18/02/2011

at page 4 titled “ Don’t hold rally IGP tells HRP” by the Home Minister and the Inspector General of Police respectively.

May we bring out to your goodselves attention that this is not the truth as we have indeed applied for a police permit. A copy of the said application with the Dang Wangi police stations acknowledgement is enclosed herewith to Article 10 of the Federal Constitution guarantees the citizens right to assemble peacefully without arms.

We recall some years ago when Umno Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin marched from Kampung Baru to the Renaissance Hotel to send a protest note to the then Secretary of State of the United States of America Condoleza Rice on the Palestinian plight and his march was neither disrupted or nor was he and his group arrested or prosecuted.

Further Article 8 of the Federal Constitution guarantees equality before the law and the equal protection of the law.

We also ask for our right to march against UMNO racism and Interlok on 27^th of February 2011 at 9.00 am from KLCC to the Dang Wangi police station. During this peaceful march we also ask for police protection against possible extremist groups like Perkasa, Pekida, Tiga Line etc from creating problems and violence. We also ask for protection against possible UMNO Indian mandore gangsters who may assigned to create an “Indian versus Indian” fight and creating possible violence. If there is any violence on that day we shall presume that the same is orchestrated and well conceived UMNO plan a la Kg Medan as we have always been peaceful and have always subscribed to a non violent and peaceful struggle.

In the circumstances we trust that our application for a police permit for our aforesaid peaceful rally further to Article 10 of the Federal constitution would be granted.

Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
P.Uthayakumar
Secretary General (Protem)




   

HINDRAF to lead PEOPLE’S NEO DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTION AGAINST MALAYSIAN AUTHORITARIAN GOVERNMENT on FEBRUARY 27, 2011.

 I write as the Chair of HINDRAF, an NGO, that took the people to the street on November 25, 2007 to fight for their rights and liberty that eventually was instrumental  for   the Malaysian authoritarian Government  to lose several states to the opposition in the elections on March 8th 2008 see link   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HINDRAF

Recently the Malaysian government against the interest of public had included  a  novel  “Interlok” that contains racial slurs against the Ethnic Indians and Chinese  as a compulsory literature for 16 years old school goers. See http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/155901

HINDRAF has protested vehemently against the introduction of this book as a school text and many of its leaders were arrested for conducting an awareness campaign against racism being taught in school. See link  http://www.malaysiakini.tv/video/21006/police-clamp-down-on-hrp-convoys-scores-arrested.html, http://www.malaysiakini.tv/video/21009/hindraf-klang-valley-anti-interlok-convoy-activists-arrested.html,http://www.malaysiakini.tv/video/21007/say-no-to-interlok---hindraf.html

We are organizing a nation wide rally on February 27, 2011 at 9am in from the the Petronas Tower in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to fight racism implanted and sowed by the authoritarian UMNO led Malaysian government to enhance race segregation and racism in the educational curriculum. See attached http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2011/02/15/hindraf-to-organize-people%e2%80%99s-march-for-solidarity-against-umnobn-racism%e2%80%9d-on-2722011-at-klcc/

The People need to rise and revolt without  fear or favor against facist governments and such esteemed media such as you need to provide the coverage to enhance the battle for rights and liberty of the human kind.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully

P. Waytha Moorthy

Chair- HINDRAF

Email : waytha@hotmail.com

Tel No: +44 750 228 9313 

Interlok Forum - 8 Activist Arrested

HRP submits memorandum to United Nations

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
54 Commercial Street
London E1 6LT, UK
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7422 4200
Fax: +44 (0)20 7422 4201
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
Tel: +43 1 514 36 6000
Fax: +43 1 514 36 6996
E-mail: info@osce.org

NAACP
Washington Bureau
1156 15th Street, NW Suite 915
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 463-2940
Fax: (202) 463-2953
Email: washingtonbureau@naacpnet.org

European Union External Action Service
Menara Tan & Tan, Suite 10.01
207 Jalan Tun Razak
50400 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel.: +6 03 2723 7373
Fax: +6 03 2723 7337
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
930 East 50th Street
Chicago, IL 60615
Phone: 773-373-3366
Fax: 773-373-3571
Email : info@rainbowpush.org

National Action Network
House of Justice
106 West, 145th Street,
Harlem ,NY 10039
Tel No: (212) 690 3070
Fax No ( 877)- 626 4651
Email : rachel@noerdlingermedia.com