Gov't out to quash Hindraf's revival

'By throwing criminal charges against all their key leaders, Umno hopes to kill off this human rights organisation.'

Perak HRP chief charged in KL magistrate's court

Mimi Suraya: At one point, I too like many Malaysians believed that Hindraf is a racist organisation. But as the day goes by, it is becoming clearer what they are fighting for. The media is just not with them.

They may be a bit harsh but that does not matter as I suppose they are dealing with a regime that is ruthless. Umno's ruthlessness has to be put to an end. PAS should talk to Hindraf. There is lots more to be gained.

Anonymous: Many know what Hindraf has done but are hesitant about speaking up for them. Put all the human rights workers together and this group outshines them, yet they are called racist by the civil societies who are uncomfortable with Hindraf.

Anti-Interlok: I now begin to wonder, was HRP (Human Rights Party) interested in removing 'Interlok' from the syllabus or using the 'Interlok' to promote their movement that has been hijacked by the Ponnusamy brothers.

They even started a campaign for public donations the same way that they did before in 2007, when the actual cause was the 18 Hindraf demands and law suit in Britain, but all the funds were diverted for the release of Uthayakumar and his health.

Willson: The issue brought up by Hindraf and HRP is not about 'Interlok' alone. There are the more serious issue of racism entrenched in all systems and walks of Malaysian life so much so that we do not realise it.

Hazley: The government fears the influence of Hindraf/HRP. By throwing criminal charges against all their key leaders, Umno hopes to kill off this human rights organisation.

They have been trying by various methods to undermine them, from calling them terrorists to breaking them up from within. But nothing works. The poor and the underclass are with them.

Where are our cows?

P.M Najib’s Australia visit. HRP appeals to 119 Australian MP’s well Senators to question UMNO state sponsored racism against minority Malaysian Indian poor.

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

Your Reference : 

In Reply : 

Date : 3/3/2011

The Honorable Senator Michael Foreshow
Chairperson
Parliamentary Joint Committee
Foreign Affairs, Defense and Trade
Dear Sirs,
Re: 1. SOS appeal to Australian Parliament joint sitting on Malaysian state sponsored racism against minority Malaysian Indian poor on Prime Minister Najib Razak’s Australia visit (04/03/2011).




We are writing this letter on behalf of the 2.5 Million minority Malaysian Indians to express our concern over the visit of the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Najib Razak to Australia in the background of the above and Malaysia being a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

We also understand he has been given the privilege to address the Members of the United Nations and the Australian Parliament in a joint sitting.

We wish to bring to the attention of the Australian lawmakers about Malaysia’s systematic racial discrimination and in violation of acceptable international norms especially targeting the defenseless and poor Malaysian Indians.

The Human Rights Party of Malaysia (HRP) is led by lawyer P. Uthayakumar who was detained without trial under the International Security Act (ISA) for 514 days from 13/12/2007 for organizing a peaceful assembly on 25/11/2007. HRP is the political wing of Human and Minority Rights NGO Hindraf whose Chairman P.Waytha Moorthy is a British trained Barrister at law and now leading Hindraf from exile in London.
Please take cognizance of in particular the following:-

• · Used the Attorney General, the Judiciary, Registrar of Societies and government machinery to launch a nationwide crackdown on Hindraf.
• · By jailing and maliciously prosecuting this week alone 53 Hindraf human rights and minority rights activists as at 4/03/2011 and continuing.
• · Last week some 300 over Hindraf activists (government claims only 109) were arrested and jailed for organising a peaceful assembly against the UMNO state sponsored racism. This week alone 53 Hindraf activist have been prosecuted to be jailed up to three years for merely being members of Hindraf.
• · Brutally suppresses freedom of speech and peaceful assembly;
• · Used the Internal Security Act and the Sedition Act to punish without trial five Hindraf lawyers in 2007;
• · Malays are a superior race, just like Hitler did, coupled with Islam as a superior religion to oppress, segregate and exclude especially the Indian poor;
• · Last month by promoting a textbook called Interlok where Indians are demeaned as “dark skinned smelly pariahs” ;
• · Systematically denied the right to freedom of assembly and speech as is enshrined in the Malaysian Constitution and in violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
• · All other atrocities as per Malaysian Indian Minority & Human Rights Violations Annual Report 2010.
• The government of Malaysia led by UMNO by Prime Minister Najib Razak is ruling the country with pure racism and violation of basic human rights such as freedom of religion, speech, right to assembly, equality and equal opportunities denied to the Indian poor. To give him the privilege to address the Australian Parliament will contaminate the sanctity of a respectable institution.

Malaysia today has emerged as the world’s most racist and religious supremacist country and the world’s only and last remaining apartheid regime, but very little known to the world at large because of UMNO’s very “clever” media political propaganda.

Kindly access our website at hrp-my.org to view our day to day documentation of the deplorable extent of the acts of persecution racism, religious supremacy and victimization of the mere 8% ethnic minority Indian poor. Our main website www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com was on 27/02/2011 “shut down” by the government despite a promise of Internet freedom.

Given this racist and religious supremacist attributes we seek the Australian lawmakers to raise the aforesaid persecution of the Malaysian Indians with our Prime Minister. So please help us.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
____________
P.Uthayakumar
Secretary General (pro tem)
(H/P No: +6013-3504711)

Hindraf leader Ramesh charged, 53 in all

Another Hindraf leader has been charged with being a member of the outlaw organisation.

KUALA LUMPUR: Hindraf national secretary P Ramesh was today charged with being a member of an unlawful society at a magistrate’s court here today.
He was charged with committing two offences under the Societies Act 1966. This brings the number of people charged since last Sunday’s rally to 53.

According to the first charge, Ramesh was a member of Hindraf, and therefore committed an offence, outside a hotel at Jalan Thambipillay, off Jalan Tun Sambanthan, at 8.30am on Feb 27.

The word “Hindraf” in the chargesheet was changed to Hindraf Makkal Sakthi after the deputy public prosecutor Vincent Chew applied for the change.

Ramesh, 40, is also charged with possessing banners and documents totalling nearly 100 which appear to further the cause of Hindraf, an outlawed organisation.

Some the banners read: ‘People’s march solidarity against Umno’s racism’, ‘We demand equal rights for 12 million non-Malays in Malaysia and… universal standards of democracy’, ‘Hindraf is not anti-Islam’ and ‘What – racism? Who – Umno? When –54 years? Where – 1Malaysia? How –Marginalised? Why – Racist agenda’.

The first offence comes under Section 43 while the second under Section 47 of the Act.
Ramesh, also Human Rights Party (HRP) pro-tem Perak chief, pleaded not guilty to both charges.

Double standard
If convicted, Ramesh faces a maximum three-year jail term or RM5,000 fine or both for the first charge and a maximum of two years jail and a maximum fine of RM5,000 fine or both for the second offence.
Magistrate Mohd Azali Ibrahim set bail at RM8,000.

Mention date was fixed for April 11.

HRP’s pro-tem secretary-general P Uthayakumar, who is a lawyer for Ramesh, together with M Manoharan, Hindraf legal adviser, told FMT that the prosecution of Hindraf supporters showed that the government practised double standard.

“I submitted in court that in 1988 Umno was declared illegal by the Kuala Lumpur High Court. The named was changed to Umno Baru, and now they’ve dropped the word Baru. It is contempt of court to be using the word Umno. They (Umno) don’t even have a court order to ban Hindraf or Hindraf Makkal Sakthi but they’re going after us.”

“This is in contravention of Article 8 of the Federal Constitution which provides for equality before the law,” he said.

On Feb 27, police arrested 109 people from different parts of the city and crippled a planned Hindraf rally.
Hindraf, which rose to fame after a mammoth rally in 2007, is a banned organisation but the group has now come under a new name – Hindraf Makkal Sakthi. It is closely linked to the political party HRP.

‘Malicious prosecution’
The Hindraf rally was to call for an end to “Umno’s racism” as well as seeking a ban on the controversial textbook Interlok. The group also held gatherings nationwide on the same issues.

On March 1, five men, including HRP information chief S Jayathas, 44, were charged at the Selayang magistrate’s court with being Hindraf members.

One of them was also charged with obstructing a public official from carrying out his duties by pushing Insp Mohd Aster Mohammad, causing him to fall to the ground.

On March 3, six men were slapped with similar charges at the Ipoh magistrate’s court.
Yesterday, 21 people, including five women, pleaded not guilty at the Kuala Lumpur magistrate’s court with being members of Hindraf.

At the Seremban magistrate’s court, 20 people, including state HRP chief S Sivarasa, pleaded not guilty to being Hindraf members.

All charges came under Section 43 of the Societies Act.

“To me, the charges on all the Hindraf supporters are basically a malicious prosecution by the attorney-general and an abuse of his powers,” said Uthayakumar.

“The charges are also politically motivated and intended to stiffle and finish off Hindraf Makkal Sakthi, which is a mere minority rights and human rights NGO.

“We are not a secret society; we have never been a threat to the country. This is an attempt by the Umno-led government, under its racist policies, to stop us from raising legitimate grouses and championing the Malaysian Indian poor.”