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YSS, Putera MIC and MIYC condemn Hindraf

December 8th, 2007
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Hindraf 'does not speak for majority of Indians'
By : K. Harinderan

KUALA LUMPUR: Claims made by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) do not represent the views of the majority of Indians. 

Social Strategic Foundation executive director Datuk Denison Jayasooria said the organisation wanted to trigger religious sensitivities by using words like ethnic cleansing. "This is simply wrong. Their ploy will diminish the status of Indians." Jayasooria said this proved that Hindraf's motives were far from the truth and questionable. He said Indians had to be cautious and not be exploited by these claims which were baseless. 

"I believe that Indians can distinguish between what is true and what is not." Jayasooria said it was up to the police to investigate Hindraf's claims. He said the government had helped many Indians become successful through various opportunities. "This clearly indicates that there are opportunities for Indians to progress in the country. "This has been achieved by addressing problems through democratic principles." Asked how Hindraf's claims had affected the Indian community, he said the government had responded by investigating its claims through organisations like the police and MIC.

"If Hindraf leaders claim to be followers of Gandhian principles, the act of throwing stones and opposing authority would not have happened." He said Malaysia was a proven model of a multi-racial democratic society which applied the due process of law and parliament to formulate laws and policies for its citizens. "Hindraf can destroy this process by taking the law into its own hands," Jayasooria said, adding that the country had no room for extremists. Jayasooria was commenting on a report yesterday which quoted Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan as saying that the police were investigating Hindraf for allegedly stoking hatred against the government and inciting racial unrest.

Meanwhile, Putera MIC national co-ordinator P. Kamalanathan echoed Jayasooria's sentiments that Hindraf's motives were unfounded. "Its leaders have disgraced Indians and the country. They have been ungrateful to our forefathers who worked hard to develop peace and unity in the nation." On Hindraf's claim that Malaysia may go the way of Sri Lanka, he said although there was dissatisfaction among Indians here, there were specific avenues to voice grievances to the government. Kamalanathan believed that Hindraf had not exhausted the avenues to negotiate with the government.

Malaysian Hindu Youth Council president K. Rasaselvan said Hindraf's actions smacked of desperation as it was using racial and religious issues to gain support. "This has hurt the relationship between Indians and the government. "Unrest can never solve anything. This is all that Hindraf has managed to achieve."

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police report over Minnal FM DJ removal report

December 8th, 2007
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Report lodged over false news

source

KUALA LUMPUR: RTM has lodged a police report against news web portal Malaysiakini and two other Tamil newspapers, claiming that they falsely reported that the recent letting-go of two radio presenters from MINNALfm were linked to their involvement in the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf). 

In the same police report, RTM further denied that an internal job reshuffle involving five other radio presenters were also due to their links to Hindraf. 

RTM Broadcasting director-general Datuk Abdul Rahman Hamid lodged the report at the Pantai police station on Thursday. The two Tamil newspapers were Malaysia Nanban and Makkal Osai.  

“The Dec 3 article stated that our radio station MINNALfm had terminated a few presenters because they supported Hindraf. This is false. What happened was, we decided not to renew the annual contracts of two presenters.  

“They were not sacked as claimed. The decision was made on Oct 29, way before the illegal Hindraf gathering on Nov 25,” said Abdul Rahman in the police report. 

On the five other radio presenters, Abdul Rahman said their services were not terminated for being involved in Hindraf as published by Malaysiakini in an article on Dec 4. 

“The five were merely relieved of their deejay-ing work. Instead, they were given tasks to assist the executive producer, such as conducting research, selecting songs and preparing scripts,” said Abdul Rahman in his police report which also claimed the articles were libellous. 

He said the job reshuffle of the five presenters was a routine procedure involving staff in stations under RTM. 

Yesterday, Abdul Rahman was present at a press conference where his superior, Information Ministry deputy secretary-general (management) Datuk Azmi Mohd Ali, said the contracts of the two presenters were not renewed because they did not perform to mark. 

The two are V. Jamuna and S. Dhayalan. 

“We do not even know if it is true the two were involved in Hindraf. What we know is only from hearsay.  

“But the two had disciplinary problems. For instance, one of them had not turned up for work and was caught using the office telephone to make personal calls overseas.  

“The other, when asked to do some editing work on Nov 7, passed it to someone else,” said Azmi. 

As for the other five presenters, also working on contract basis, they were in trouble for failing to turn up for work after their job reshuffle was made known to them on Tuesday. 

“They will be given a chance to explain why they did not turn up for work. If they continue to be absent, disciplinary action will be meted out and our options include terminating their contracts,” said Azmi.

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Hindraf should get its language right

December 8th, 2007
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Ethnic cleansing: Hindraf should get its language right
http://www5.malaysiakini.com/letters/75796
Josef Roy Benedict | Dec 7, 07 5:30pm

The debate and the government’s harsh response to the Hindraf rally continues. In my opinion, it is important for Hindraf to get its language right before they embark on a global campaign to highlight their concerns about the discriminatory treatment of Indians in Malaysia.

For example, their memorandum calls for Malaysia to be referred to a world court and the International Criminal Court. Firstly, a world court does not exist. The closest we have to a world court is the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which is located in the Hague. It settles disputes between states in accordance with international law.

Only states can bring cases before the ICJ. Individuals, groups and NGOs are excluded. Even state parties have to consent before being brought to the court. The ICJ has no special mandate to adjudicate claims involving human rights violations. It deals with the rights of individuals only to the extent that they are implicated by an interstate dispute.

Secondly, the International Criminal Court (ICC) deals with issues of crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes and crimes of aggression. It can only exercise jurisdiction if the accused is a national of a state party or if the crime was committed on the territory of the state party. Therefore, no state or even the United Nations would be able to take the case to the ICC as Malaysia has not ratified the Rome Statute and is not a state party.

Thirdly, ‘ethnic cleansing’ is a strong claim to make. They need to show that there has been an attempt "to remove a people and often all traces of them from a concrete territory" or "rendering an area ethnically homogeneous by using force or intimidation to remove from a given area persons of another ethnic or religious group." I believe this would be impossible to prove and that "dramatising” the issue would not help the cause of Indians in Malaysia.

If there is sincerity to bring substantive change to the situation of Indians and other marginalised groups in Malaysia, we must use a rights-based language and approach. We must show how Barisan National's policies have systematically violated the principles of non-discrimination and equality enshrined in international human rights standards. Through well-researched reports we need to show how these policies have affected a range of vulnerable and marginalised groups in Malaysia. With this research, we can then start lobbying, campaigning and mobilising people at the national level.

Only then can we also go to the international community and NGOs to make a credible case for international pressure on these issues. Once again, it is crucial for Hindraf to get its language right and to use a rights-based approach. Any allegations or assertions should be backed up with credible research. Or else it will undermine all those who have supported their cause as well as make it hard to convince, not just the international community, but even Malaysians to support its cause.

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US panel expresses concern over discrimination

December 8th, 2007
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US panel concerned over temple demolitions
http://www5.malaysiakini.com/news/75763
Dec 7, 07 11:06am

A US Congress-appointed commission has expressed concern over the destruction of Hindu temples and other forms of alleged discrimination faced by religious minorities in Malaysia.

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom urged the administration of President George W Bush to raise the matter with Kuala Lumpur and "insist that immediate measures be taken to protect sacred sites and prevent further destruction".

It expressed concern over recent Malaysian government actions against the Indian Hindu minority "curtailing their human rights, including the freedom of thought, conscience, and religion".

"Continued discrimination against members of the ethnic Indian Hindu minority, including the destruction of sacred places and images, only fuels religious unrest and intolerance," said commission chairperson Michael Cromartie.

At least 30,000 Indians protested on the streets of Kuala Lumpur on Nov 25 to highlight racial and religious discrimination by the Muslim Malay-dominated government of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The Hindu Rights Action Force, which organised the rally, has claimed that, on average, one temple is demolished every three weeks.

Police dispersed the crowd with water cannon and tear gas, and witnesses said some demonstrators were beaten with batons.

The ISA threat

Abdullah has since accused Indian activists of stirring up racial conflict and threatened to use a draconian security law to detain protestors indefinitely without trial.

The US commission, a non-partisan panel appointed by the US president and leaders of Congress, noted that in late October, Malaysian authorities demolished a 100-year-old temple in Selangor.

The panel asked the Bush administration to get an assurance from the Malaysian authorities that no charges would be filed against the organiser of the demonstrations.

"Malaysia should ensure that internationally protected rights to peaceful assembly, expression, and freedom of thought, conscience and religion are protected," it said.

The commission also noted that Kuala Lumpur's Syariah courts have expanded their jurisdiction in recent years, threatening secular civil courts and the country's commitment to religious pluralism.

"[…] the Syariah courts have weighed in on a number of high-profile cases involving conversion, marriage, divorce, child custody, and burial rights of non-Muslims," it added.

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HINDRAF linked with LTTE and RSS

December 8th, 2007
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Hmmm…how stupid of the hindraf organisers to announce that they want to meet terrorists. for sure cannot la. want to meet foreign groups/leaders, also condemned. Want to meet PM, also condemned. Who else is left to meet? but they are asked to discuss and channel their problems. to who? i am more confused 🙂

Link is with Tamil Tigers and India’s RSS, says Nazri

source

KUALA KANGSAR: The Government has identified the overseas groups linked to Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf). Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz said the groups are Sri Lanka’s Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the RSS, a militant organisation in India. Speaking to reporters yesterday after presenting gifts to UPSR excellent students at Kati, near here, Mohamed Nazri said this was from statements of Hindraf leaders who went overseas to garner support that they would meet LTTE leaders. “As we know, the LTTE has been declared a terrorist group by the United Nations and the United States. 

“If it is true that Hindraf leaders have links with them, Hindraf is also a terrorist group,” he said yesterday, adding that the Government was closely monitoring the activities of Hindraf leaders. Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan was reported to have said yesterday that there were signs lately that Hindraf was trying to garner support from terrorist groups. 

He said Hindraf had also set up a fund by misleading the public into believing that the money was to finance its activities. 

On accusations by Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran that the A-G was pressuring the judiciary by leading the prosecution team charging Hindraf supporters, Mohamed Nazri said being the country’s top lawyer, the A-G could act for the Government in any court in the country. “The A-G’s job is to prosecute. The fact that the A-G is involved shows the seriousness of the matter as it can affect the country’s peace,” he added. 

On calls by the Pertubuhan Pembela Islam (Pembela) that Hindraf be banned, Mohamed Nazri said the Government would do so if the group was linked with the LTTE. In Shah Alam, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patil said detailed investigations would be carried out to determine the alleged link between Hindu Rights Action Force and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam. 

He told reporters that a police report had been lodged that Hindraf members were going out to contact the LTTE. “These are serious allegations and we believe that investigations have to be done,” added Abdul Gani. In Penang, DAP national chairman Karpal Singh said the leaders of the Hindu Rights Action Force should be given the opportunity to explain the reasons behind the demonstration. He added that the presence of thousands of Indians at the demonstration was cause for concern and reason enough to assume that the problems of the community ought to be addressed.

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