High Chaparral: Umno and DAP get a whacking

The Human Rights Party (HRP) today condemned both Umno and DAP of violating the land law in carrying out the demolition of three vacant houses and part of an occupied…

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The Human Rights Party (HRP) today condemned both Umno and DAP of violating the land law in carrying out the demolition of three vacant houses and part of an occupied fourth house in Kampung Buah Pala in George Town today.

Saying that that the proposed developer was an Umno-linked company, HRP secretary general P Uthayakumar (left) accused the BN party of violating Section 116(1) (d) of the National Land Code which states that 'where in any alienated land..... no such building shall be demolished, altered or extended without the prior consent in writing of the appropriate authority.'

Similarly he said the DAP Penang government had also refused to issue an official letter prohibiting the demolition of Kampung Buah Pala by virtue of Section 116(1) (d) of NLC.

"DAP is obviously aiding and abetting Umno in the commission of this crime of demolishing Kampung Buah Pala," he said.

Kampung Buah Pala, also commonly known as Tamil High Chaparral, faces eviction to pave way for a lucrative project - the Oasis - undertaken by Umno-linked Nusmetro Venture (P) Sdn Bhd.

The Penang DAP government transferred the land ownership from the state to a government civil seevants society - Koperasi Pegawai Pegawai Kanan Kerajaan Pulau Pinang - on March 27.

At today's demolition exercise, police were seen by many assaulting and detaining villagers and their supporters, who formed a human barricade to stop the destruction of the village.

'Umno and DAP the villains'

Uthayakumar, also the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) legal advisor, alleged that both Umno and DAP have taken full advantage of the vulnerable, poor, marginalised, defenceless, voiceless and politically powerless working class Indians in Malaysia.

He also chided the police for siding the politically powerful Umno at the federal level and DAP at state level.

He pointed out that the arrest of working class Indians in Kampung Buah Pala proved that the police were biased against those detained today who were not real criminals, who violated the law.

"We were told that the police, who were supposed to be neutral, used rough and aggressive tactics, assault and detained the villagers and their supporters, causing a lady to faint," he said in a press statement today.

He also slammed the police for arresting the villagers' lawyer Darshan Singh Khaira, who was merely discharging his duties further to Section 42 of the Legal Professional Act 1976.

He was detained, manhandled and dragged away forcefully while carrying out his official legal duties.

Real culprits off the hook?

"Of course, the attorney general would not bother prosecuting the real criminals but may instead prosecute these arrested poor, defenseless and homeless people.

"HRP condemns these injustices and especially the arrest of lawyer Darshan Singh," he said, taking a swipe at both Umno and DAP governments' popular themes.

The HRP leader asked how could such open violations of law and order take place in the country under the Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's One Malaysia concept?

He also asked how could such human rights infringement takes place when Penang is being governed by the DAP, which espouses the Malaysian Malaysia concept.

Moreover, he said the Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had always been bragging about his CAT government based on competency, accountability and transparency.

"But all these wrongdoings took place today under the One Malaysia, Malaysian Malaysia and CAT governments.

"Such serious violation of human rights can only happen in Malaysia, nowhere else in the world," said the former ISA detainee.

Kampong Buah Pala

source: Bernama news (Tamil)

Kampong Buah Pala

source: NTV 7 news

source: Bernama news (Tamil)

Amid arrests, houses demolished in Buah P

Kg Buah Pala - Derogatory remark claim

Kg Buah Pala: UMNO & DAP violates the law

(HUMAN RIGHTS PARTY)
No.6, Jalan Abdullah,
Off Jalan Bangsar,
59000 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel : 03-2282 5241
Fax : 03-2282 5245

Re: Demolishment of Kampung Buah Pala on 03/09/2009

Media Statement…

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(HUMAN RIGHTS PARTY)
No.6, Jalan Abdullah,
Off Jalan Bangsar,
59000 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel : 03-2282 5241
Fax : 03-2282 5245

Re: Demolishment of Kampung Buah Pala on 03/09/2009

Media Statement

UMNO violates the law in Section 116(1) (d) of the National Land Code which provides that ‘where any alienated land…..’. ‘That no such building shall be demolished, altered or extended without the prior consent in writing of the appropriate authority

Similarly the DAP led Penang State government has refused to issue an official letter prohibiting the demolition of Kampung Buah Pala by virtue of Section 116(1) (d) of the same. DAP is obviously aiding and abetting UMNO in the commission of this crime of demolishing Kampung Buah Pala.

Both UMNO/B.N and DAP/P.R are taking full advantage of the poor, marginalized, defenseless, voiceless and politically powerless working class Indians in Malaysia.

The police are siding the politically powerful UMNO/B.N and DAP/P.R by arresting at least 19 of the working class Indians of Kampung Buah Pala today and not the real criminals who violated the aforesaid law. From our supporters on the ground we have today been informed that the police who are supposed to be neutral used aggressive tactics and even causing one lady to faint. Even their lawyer Mr. Darshan Singh Khaira who was merely discharging his duties further to Section 42 of the Legal Professional Act 1976 was arrested and dragged away forcefully. The Attorney General would not bother prosecuting the real criminals but may instead prosecute these arrested poor, defenseless and homeless people. We condemn these injustices and especially the arrest of their lawyer Mr. Darshan Singh Khaira. All this can only happen in Prime Minister Najib Razak’s One Malaysia and DAPs’ Malaysian Malaysia and no where else in the world.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

(P. Uthayakumar )

Secretary General (pro tem)

Kampung Buah Pala: Demolition starts; 18 arrested

Himanshu Bhatt and Bernard Cheah, The Sun Daily

Demolition work started on four houses in Kampung Buah Pala today -- three days past the deadline to move out -- amid…

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Himanshu Bhatt and Bernard Cheah, The Sun Daily

Demolition work started on four houses in Kampung Buah Pala today -- three days past the deadline to move out -- amid a violent skirmish between police and village supporters that ended with 18 arrests.

One of the Kampung Buah Pala residents tearing the
DAP flag in anger when contractors move in today to
demolish the houses in the village.

Among those arrested were lawyer Darshan Singh, former Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MPPJ) councillor A Thiruvenggadam, and several MIC youth members.

Only five – three women and two men – were villagers.

It is learnt they had started a hunger strike while at the George Town district police headquarters in Pattani Road here.

All 18 were released on police bail about 8.30pm tonight.

Things came to a head at about 12.30pm today when police made a V-shape formation to penetrate the crowd of mainly Hindraf and MIC members, who were shouting slogans, in order to break one of the houses.

“All those arrested but who were not villagers were there in a spirit of solidarity with the residents, which is alright,” George Town OCPD Azam Abd Hamid said later.

“But what they did in obstructing (the court bailiff and police) was against the law.”

Police arresting the villagers at Kampung Buah Pala.

Azam said most were arrested for obstructing police in discharging their duty while some would be charged for causing a riot.

He said they would be released on bail after their statements were recorded.

Two policemen were injured in the skirmish. Four police reports were lodged by various individuals, including one by developer Nusmetro Ventures (P) Sdn Bhd on an alleged attack on its director Gary Ho.

Azam said five households had agreed to vacate and let Nusmetro demolish their houses. The remaining families asked for more time, and were given a week.

The day began on an ominous note at about 7.30am when several police trucks, including a Black Maria, were seen parked outside the village.

Residents were supported by a crowd of Hindraf and MIC youth members, lead by the party’s youth chief T Mohan.

The physical confrontation between the police and the supporters came as a surprise as the residents’ committee members were seen having negotiations with Nusmetro’s Ho and executive director Thomas Chan.

It is understood that Nusmetro wanted to demolish three vacant houses.

After lengthy discussions in the mobile police beat base, five members of the demolition team were allowed to enter the village, to break down the first house under the watch of the police, a court bailiff and the residents committee, at about 10am.

There were several tense situations between reporters and supporters who tried to block them, and between MIC members and youngsters in the demolition team.

After breaking three houses, Ho reached a compromise with residents’ association secretary J. Steven to break the store room of his house.

The crisis has its roots in the state government approving the village land for sale to the Koperasi Pegawai Kerajaan Pulau Pinang for a private commercial development project in 2004.

The residents, descendants of indentured labourers brought in during the British colonial period, have argued that the land transaction was fraudulent, and that their forefathers were beneficiaries of a housing trust under the Brown Estate, but have lost repeatedly in the courts.

A distraught association chairman M. Sugumaran: “We have no avenue already. The state government is not with us. The courts are not with us. How are we going to fight?” he said.

High Chaparral: Four Kampung Buah Pala Houses Demolished In Third Attempt

PENANG, Sept 3 (Bernama) -- After two failed attempts to demolish 23 houses in Kampung Buah Pala, developer Nusmetro Ventures (P) Sdn Bhd today succeeded in demolishing four houses.

Kampung…

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PENANG, Sept 3 (Bernama) -- After two failed attempts to demolish 23 houses in Kampung Buah Pala, developer Nusmetro Ventures (P) Sdn Bhd today succeeded in demolishing four houses.

Kampung Buah Pala villagers who were directed to vacate their houses on Sept 1 finally agreed to comply with the court order.

Nusmetro director Gary Ho said a ruckus caused by the villagers had prevented it from demolishing 12 houses as planned.

"Twelve house owners had agreed to our (Nusmetro) offer but the opposite thing happened Thursday.

"Villagers and several outside parties had formed a human barricade to stop the developer from demolishing the houses," he told reporters here today.

Ho who suffered bruises all over the body said due to the ruckus, the police had to be deployed to control the situation.

"I will seek medical treatment and then lodge a police report on the incident," he said.

Over 100 officers and men from the General Operations Force (PGA) and Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) gathered at the village as early as 7am.

A mobile police station was also placed at the village.

Ho was seen discussing with court bailiffs, the villagers' representatives and the police at 9.30am.

The situation became tense at 10.30am when several bulldozers and excavators moved in to demolish the houses.

However, attempts by demolition workers to enter the village at 10.30am and noon were prevented by villagers who formed a barricade across the road leading to the village.

The rain did not seemed to bother them who shouted 'hidup Kampung Buah Pala' and 'selamatkan kampung kami'.

The villagers also shouted the names of elected representatives from the Opposition who had promised to save their village.

Meanwhile, Kampung Buah Pala residents association chairman M Sugumaran said the villagers had accepted the court order.

"We are forced to agree as the state government is of no help. We are disappointed by the situation and are forced to accept the developer's offer," he said.

Meanwhile, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state government was not involved in the demolition work and the villagers' eviction from the land.

"It has nothing to do with the state government. It is a matter for the developer, cooperative and involved a court order," he told a press conference here.

Kampung Buah Pala, dubbed the 'High Chapparal of Penang' sits on a 2.6 hectare land in George Town.

It is the only Indian traditional village in the city.

--BERNAMA

Video: Bernama, NTV 7, RTM 2

Mayhem as 3 Buah Pala houses wrecked

Photos by Anil

Hishamuddin Hussein a fascist Home Minister.

HINDRAF is not surprised that the Home Minister is in full support of
the group that paraded in public carrying a severed cow’s head and
issuing seditious statements to incite and inflame racial discord.

The Home minister condones to the residents’ action and rather plays
politics by passing the buck to the Selangor government for their
inability to resolve this matter.

Quote “If we don't give them room to voice their opinions, they have
no choice but to protest” he says.

HINDRAF have been voicing and sending thousands of memorandums to the
UMNO led BN government for resolutions, yet when we conduct peaceful
rallies carrying posters, flowers and candles, our supporters are
assaulted, charged and even detained under ISA.

Such double standard and fascist attitude by the Home Minister only
ascertains the fact that UMNO will never change its way or attempts to
change for the betterment of the public but is rather more interested
in maintaining its hegemony for those elite UMNO leaders and their
“mandores” in their alliance against the public’s interest.

The continuous fascist attitude taken by the UMNO leaders as seen by
the Home Minister’s endorsement of the inflammatory protest that took
place on August 28, 2009 will only further aggravate and alienate the
public further.

This kind of fascist act clearly will lead to an authoritarian
government leaning towards a totalitarian state as oppose to the false
democracy that is supposedly practiced in Malaysia.

HINDRAF urges MPs, their parties, NGO movements and the general public
to come together and act in unity in ensuring that such provocative
and inciting actions should not go undeterred for the fascist stand
that the UMNO government had taken in this incident.

Thank you.

P.Waythamoorthy
HINDRAF - Chairman

US-based Hindu foundation condemns 'cow head' mob - Malaysiakini

The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) has demanded the Malaysian government to conduct a quick and robust inquiry to identify and punish leaders of the mob involved in last week's provocative and insensitive demonstration outside the Selangor state secretariat.

HAF, based in Kensington USA, also wants the inquiry to take stern action on the inaction of the police to stop such an offensive act of religious insensitivity.

HAF public policy director Ishani Chowdhury condemned the demonstration and demanded the Selangor government to rescind the order to relocate a Hindu temple in Section 23 of Shah Alam.

In an Aug 28 letter addressed to Malaysian ambassador to the United States, Ilango Karuppannan, Ishani described the demonstration as "vulgar, religiously provocative, and a racially incendiary act by a Muslim mob."

She also expressed regret that the police stood by and allowed the provocative act to be carried out

Ishani said the mob after Friday prayers threatening violence and bloodshed if the said temple - Sri Mariamman Kovil - was relocated to Section 23 of Shah Alam.

"As if to prove their intent, the mob left the severed head of a cow at the gates of the state secretariat," said Ishani.

She said the cow is considered sacred and revered by Hindus as a "symbol of purity, motherhood and ahimsa (non-violence)."

"We regret that the police failed to stop such provocative act," she said.

Discriminating against minorities

She stressed Malaysia had emerged as a country of particular concern for HAF in wake of numerous Hindu temple destructions and unfair custodial battles in Syariah courts involving single Hindu parents.

She also highlighted the many arrests and persecution of Hindu-Malaysian leaders, and Bumiputra policy laws discriminating against minorities.

"Thus, the countenance by local police of Muslim provocative acts has added cause for alarm in a country that is already facing volatile racial and religious issues," she said.

Ishani said HAF concerned about the law and order situation in the country, and the state's unwillingness to clamp down on religious bigotry.

She pointed such tensions would only bring about a greater sense of insecurity amongst Malaysian Hindus.

"HAF hopes that the Malaysian government would take steps to ensure that interests and rights of Hindus were protected and the temple safely relocated in Section 23 of Shah Alam.

"The leaders of the mob that carried out this heinous act and the policemen, who failed to stop it, must be brought to justice," said the HAF director.

Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) condemned the unsavoury incident and accused Umno of having a hand in it.

"I believe Umno and certain police cohorts organised the inflammatory act intended to incite and create racial hatred and ill-feeling among Malaysian Muslims and Hindus," alleged Hindraf's London-based leader P Waythamoorthy (above).

He asked how the perpetrators were able to walk for over 300 metres in public, conduct seditious speeches calling for bloodshed and racial chaos without any interference from the police who were at the scene.

So far, he said police and the attorney-general chambers have done nothing on the contentious issue, except issuing lip service statements.

Fanning racial hatred

Waythamoorthy also slammed Selangor police chief Khalid Abu Bakar for suggesting that the police would only probe the incident if a report was lodged.

"Here we are talking about an outright and outrageous act, fanning racial hatred that could threaten public security and the Selangor CPO says he needed a police report before action can be taken," he said.

Waythamoorthy recalled several instances where police had brutally arrested and questioned peaceful protesters without any reasons.

"To suggest that the police needed a report before they can take any action is absurd and nonsensical," said the Hindraf leader.

The inaction by the authorities, he said was the main reason behind Hindraf's belief that it was the work of Umno and its stooges to create unrest in Selangor.

He said under the so-called 1Malaysia concept, there should be no distinction between Muslim and non-Muslim dominated areas.

Under the concept, he said Malaysia shall be one multiracial and multicultural society with various communities co-existing and living together side by side and respecting each other's religious practices and beliefs.

Instead of promoting harmony amongst Malaysians, he said Umno was fast becoming a public threat by protecting such devious and extremist acts.

"Umno should curtail such irresponsible acts rather than seeding and sowing hatred for their own political survival," said Waythamoorthy.

He said the Prime Minister Najib Razak (above, left) should immediately issue a statement and take a firm stand on the matter.

He said the premier should not delegate this paramount duty to his 'mandores' and eventually hope for the whole issue to be swept under the carpet.

Waythamoorthy plans to lodge formal complaints with the United Nation's Human Rights Council, European Parliament, United Kingdom Foreign Affairs' select committee and the Global Human Rights Defence based in The Hague if the AG's chambers failed to charge these perpetrators.

Waythamoorthy also called on all peace loving Malaysians, who respect and cherish religious freedom and the right to co-exist, to join a Hindraf-organised peaceful candle vigil at Dataran Merdeka at 6.45pm on Sept 5.

Candle protest against Religious extremism in Malaysia

Click the poster to make it bigger

Waytha is 'one and only' Hindraf leader - Malaysiakini

P Uthayakumar said last night that he and the four other Internal Security Act detainees from the Hindu Right Action Force were never the movement's leaders.
Speaking at his book launching function in Simpang Ampat, Penang, he stressed that his London-based younger brother Waythamoorthy was the movement's one and only leader.“Even I am just the movement's legal advisor,” he told some 300 people.
He recalled that inspector-general of police Musa Hassan was first to address the five as Hindraf leaders on the very day they were detained on Dec 13, 2007.
“We were all IGP-appointed Hindraf leaders,” quipped Uthayakumar.
He said that one shall either be elected or appointed by the movement members to claim oneself as leader.
“Waythamoorthy was duly elected by Hindraf committee a few years ago to head the movement. He is the rightful leader, not any other person,” said Uthayakumar, who heads the newly-formed Human Rights Party.
Uthayakumar was detained under ISA along with Kota Alam Shah state representative M Manoharan, DAP member V Ganabatirau, R Kengadharan and then unknown T Vasanthakumar.
They were detained without trial under the security law following a mammoth Hindraf rally in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 25, 2007.
“I, Manoharan, Kengadharan and Ganabatirau were Hindraf lawyers while Vasanthakumar was just a Hindraf activist,” said Uthayakumar.
They were all released from the Kamunting detention camp by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak three months ago.
Since then all five have gone separate ways.
Brothers accused of misappropriating funds
Ganabatirau and Vasanthakumar have constantly been sniping at Uthayakumar and Waythamoorthy, claiming that both brothers have misappropriated Hindraf funds.
While in detention last year, Vasanthakumar had lodged a police report accusing the two brothers of misappropriating some RM700,000 of Hindraf funds.
Uthayakumar explained that he had then specifically told the police officer investigating Vasanthakumar's report that Hindraf had only RM250,000 in its accounts as of January 2008.
He said subsequently he had lodged a report calling on the police to investigate the whereabouts of the remaining RM450,000, as alleged by Vasanthakumar.
“I told the police to locate the money and return it to Hindraf. The police never came back to me on that,” said Uthayakumar, the most famous Hindraf face.
He stressed that the current attacks by certain Hindraf detractors against him and Waythamoorthy were made with malicious intention aimed at tarnishing the brothers' reputation and undermining their struggle.
“It's defamatory and 'mala fide',” he said, slamming the critics that they should instead focus on resolving the plight of the Indian Malaysians.
Uthayakumar said he had listed down 4,932 types of human rights violations committed against the Indian community all these years in Malaysia. But he lamented these violations appeared unimportant to his critics.
According to Uthayakumar, before Dec 13, 2007, the current Hindraf critics were attacking Umno and Barisan Nasional for marginalising Indians.
But now, he said some have switched their focus to attacking him, Waythamoorthy and Hindraf with the sole agenda of splitting the movement and confused the community.

HINDRAF- Press release 30/08/2009- Candle light vigil

The reason turns of event on Friday, August 28, 2009 in front of the
State secretariat building in Selangor with an intention to incite and
create racial hatred feelings between…

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The reason turns of event on Friday, August 28, 2009 in front of the
State secretariat building in Selangor with an intention to incite and
create racial hatred feelings between Hindus and Muslims in Malaysia had
got the whole nation riled up against the Federal government led by
UMNO and the ineffectiveness of the police force to curb such
activities.

HINDRAF calls upon all peace loving Malaysians irrespective of their
religion, race, color and creed to join us in a candle light vigil at
Dataran Merdeka on September 5, 2009 at 6.45pm in solidarity to uphold
the concept that all Malaysians are equal with one another for their
individual right to co-exist without infringing and inciting racial
hatred amongst us and create a greater sense of public insecurity.

HINDRAF welcomes all NGO’s and Malaysians from all walk to participate
and make our stand that we Malaysians cannot be cowed by fear and
intimidation orchestrated by the UMNO led government and its stooges
for their own political needs.

HINDRAF stresses that Malaysia is for all Malaysians in equality and
fairness in protecting one another for the public benefit rather than
being marauded by UMNO led Federal government against public interest
as seen in the latest incident in Seksyen 23 in Shah Alam.

Those organizations that are interested to collabarate and walk with
us, please call Selvan on 016-3137840 after 6pm. To our Muslim brothers
and sisters fasting during this period please call Shanti on 019-621 1101 for
special arrangements.

Thank you.

P.Waythamoorthy

HINDRAF – Chairman