Posts Tagged ‘Hindraf’

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lady detained with men in police lock-up

August 8th, 2008
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As reported in Malaysiakini, one of the four Hindraf supporters detained at KLCC on Sunday was put together with few other men in the same detention cell in Dang Wangi police station. They were detained after handing out leaflets during the CPA conference.

Police tried to disperse the group resulting in the four – S Jayathas, S Poobalan, K Balakrishnan and B Susila – being arrested.

“They were given 20 seconds to disperse before they were ambushed while leafleting in the rain,” said Surendran when met at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters later.

According to Hindraf lawyer N.Surendran, Susila, 41, was being held in a police lockup with seven other unknown men.

“This is unacceptable. Was she treated this way because she is affiliated with Hindraf?” he asked.

Teluk Intan MP Manogaran told reporters later that Zulkarnain had confirmed that Susila was held in a cell with men but a woman police officer was stationed outside the cell.

Manogaran also said they were assured of Susila’s safety by Zulkarnain. The police chief however refused to comment on Susila’s detention when approached by reporters.

The Star did not mention this gross misconduct in its article. It just said that the four were released at 6.30pm, about 2 hours after being arrested. Even though it was for a short period, its still unacceptable. More so in current circumstances where such actions can be seen as discriminatory against the Indian community.

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HINDRAF activities coming soon

August 5th, 2008
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There was a live teleconferencing last Sunday involving Waytha, held by HINDRAF at Brickfields. Unfortunately, my sources could not attend the event. So, waiting for secondary information.

According to Waytha’ press statement, which was reported by Malaysiakini, lots of activities are being planned by HINDRAF:

  • HINDRAF’s flag campaign to celebrate our 51st Merdeka Day on August 31, 2008;
  • HINDRAF’s request to the government for HINDRAF’s supporter to march in the 51st National Day Parade as citizen of Malaysia;
  • HINDRAF Relay Hunger strikes throughout the country starting with KLCC on every Sunday from August 10, 2008
  • HINDRAF Hunger Strike for Merdeka Day and 24 hr YAAGAM in Seremban on 31st August 2008;
  • HINDRAF supporters of at least 10,000 to attend PM’s Hari Raya Open in Kepala Batas and the National Hari Raya celebration in Kuala Lumpur;
  • HINDRAF supporter’s of at least 10,000 in each state to attend the Hari Raya Open house in their respective Menteri Besar’s house;
  • HINDRAF to initiate nationwide appeal to all Sultans and Yang Dipertua Negeri starting with the state of Penang.
  • HINDRAF request it’s supporter to celebrate Deepavali in simplicity with family and friends and no open houses.
  • HINDRAF shall intensify its campaign to release the HINDRAF 5 by approaching all countries in the United Nation if the Malaysian government continue to hold them arbitrarily for voicing their concern for the systematically discriminated Malaysian Indians beyond the end of December 2008
  • HINDRAF would hold a mega gathering to commemorate November 25th mass Malaysian Indian uprising against neo colonialization of Malaysian Indians.

According to Waytha, Hindraf plans to mobilise its members to both Abdullah’s open house in Kepala Batas and in Kuala Lumpur to highlight the appeals.

Waytha also highlighted two problems affecting HINDRAF:

  • HINDRAF being infiltrated with a number of informers under the payroll of Special Branch. These informers pretend to be our loyal supporters but in fact they are agent provocateur planted by parties interested in destroying and dismantling HINDRAF’s struggle for the Indian community. These agent provocateurs are not necessarily Police officers but informers who are in the payroll of Special Branch. In due cause, HINDRAF will reveal these personnels with evidence .
  • HINDRAF name being used to promote businesses and enhancement of several personalities for their own benefits and objectives. Many see HINDRAF as an opportunity to gain leverage and dictate their own benefits. This is totally against HINDRAF principle. HINDRAF is you and me who are battling a war for better policies and governance for the Malaysian Indian as a society with equal and fair treatment in relation to education, economics and freedom of religion as oppose to individual glamour and glory. HINDRAF is involved for the well being of society not monetary and individual public recognization.

Meanwhile, The Malaysian Insider covered the teleconferencing and raising of flag event by HINDRAF:

The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), frustrated at the slow pace of Pakatan Rakyat’s promises to help poor Indians, hopes the federal opposition would do more to fulfill its election manifesto.Interim leaders, speaking at its first annual Jalur Gemilang launching ceremony here today, urged Malaysian Indians to continue the struggle for equality despite the loss of its top leadership and lack of tangible change after helping to wrest four states from the Barisan Nasional.

“BN has denied our rights, that’s why we support the opposition. But even they don’t move in the exact direction we want. At the stroke of a pen, Pakatan-led governments can give us fully-aided Tamil schools,” ideological coordinator W. Sambulingam said in his speech.

“Right now, it’s only one here and one there. Tell us what the plan is and how it will be executed. If you can allocate 130 hectares for pig farms in Selangor, I am sure something can be done for Tamil schools.”

Pakatan controls Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor, as well as Pas’s long-held Kelantan.
Hindraf chairman P. Waytha Moorthy, currently in exile in the United Kingdom, had last month sent a letter to the Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim concerning Tamil schools and also land for Hindu temples, crematoriums and burial sites.

Five Hindraf leaders are currently in detention under the ISA. Surendran believes a Pakatan government will champion changes for minorities. Gobalakrishnan insisted that BN was blocking efforts to improve Tamil schools.Its legal advisor N. Surendran said the struggle was not about grabbing positions but to bring about change in the country.
“We are not supporting Pakatan Rakyat to gain political positions but because they have promised a free society and we have faith in their promise.

“We recognise that any government needs to be pressured and lobbied to give the people what they want and this can only be effective when society and media is free and oppressive laws are abolished,” he told The Malaysian Insider after his speech.

Waytha had also addressed the gathering at the Federal Territory Girl Guides’ Hall in Brickfields via a teleconference call in which he called for Hindraf to continue the struggle for their own betterment and not for the sake of the plight of individual leaders.
“Don’t forget that the idea of Hindraf is for your rights,” he said.

He also called for this year’s Deepavali celebrations to be done low-key as a show of solidarity for the Hindraf 5 who would not be able to participate in festivities.

Also present at the gathering was PKR’s Padang Serai MP N. Gobalakrishnan, who replied on behalf of Pakatan, that it was the federal government that blocked plans to improve Tamil schools.

“Tamil school headmasters have refused to meet with opposition figures and cited an Education Ministry order. I personally had to leave a parent-teacher association meeting in Kulim before the headmaster would attend.”

Legal advisor Surendran rejected any reconciliation with MIC chief Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu to resolve the problems of the Indian community.

“Samy’s attempt to mediate for the release of the Hindraf 5 is a direct contradiction to what he said prior to the elections when he supported the arrests.

“As far as Hindraf is concerned, we have no faith in MIC’s race-based struggle and we don’t take Samy seriously. We ourselves are an offshoot of Police Watch and we were formed to fill the void because no one was fighting for Indians,” said Surendran who is also legal advisor for the NGO monitoring the police.

Today’s event was organised to dispel the notion that the group was not patriotic.
“We are not against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or the country. We are simply against the government that denies us our rights. So with Merdeka coming soon, we want to launch our own campaign,” Sambulingam explained.

Earlier, national events coordinator R. Kannan had recapped the group’s activities since its inception last year and claimed that 69 per cent of Indians voted for the opposition in the March 8 polls and three states with 20 per cent Indian population made the difference in handing Pakatan Rakyat power.

“This proves that despite being a minority community, Indians can still be kingmakers,” he said.

After the event, about 100 people regathered at KLCC to protest, and
attract the attention of the Commonwealth Parliamentarian Association.

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HINDRAF contacts Commonwealth Parliamentarian Association

August 5th, 2008
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From HINDRAF website:

After
successfully launching Hindraf’s 1st Jalur Gemilang event in
Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur attended by more than 3000 people, Hindraf
continues it tireless struggle on the same day.

About 100 people had gathered in front of KL Convention Centre about 12.30 pm today.

They
had a peace protest for more than 2 hours carrying banners and placards
(“manila card”) with various slogans. The group whom most dressed in
their safron color dress were waving their placard to the passby
people. Few foreign and local medias were seen covering the peace
protest.

The group has managed to deliever the memo letter to more
than 40 delegates whom came to the meeting today during their lunch
break. Some of the delegates promised to raise the matter and seems to
know about the Hindraf when the Hindraf volunteers explains to the
delegates on the letter.

It is learnt that CPA ( Commonwealth
Parliamentarian Association) is having their annual meeting in the
convention centre from 1st August to 10th August. HINDRAF Chairman, Mr
P.Waythamoorty whom is self exile in London now had earlier sent a
official letter dated 15th July 2008 to Dr.William F. Shija, Secretary
General of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association address to their
office in London.

In the letter, HINDRAF has request the CPA
Sec. General to raise serious Human Rights Issues of affecting
Malaysian Indians at the CPA meet in Kuala Lumpur from August 1-10,
2008.

The 4 issues are;

1. Democratically elected representative
at Selangor Legislative assembly Mr.M.Manoharan denied his rights to
serve his constituents though he has won his state assembly seat with
big majority while he was still detained under the draconian ISA
(Internal Security Law).
but till today he is denied his right to serve his constituents. This is a serious affront to basic principles of human Rights.

2.
HINDRAF 5 leaders and workers detained under draconian Internal
Security Act (ISA) without trial for raising legitimate issues
affecting minority rights.

3. P.Uthayakumar whom is one of the detainee have been denied right to seek medical attention for heart ailment.

4. 51 years of neo colonization of ethnic Malaysian Indians by the majority Malay UMNO led Government in Malaysia.

Mr Waythamoorthy also have stressed in his letter to CPA that Malaysia being one of the materially
developed Commonwealth members in every possible way has breached and
failed to uphold its declaration and fundamental principal of the
Commonwealth in affirming human rights and good governance for the
Malaysian Indians with its practice of continued oppression and
suppression towards their ethnic citizens. Hindraf feels that Malaysia
breached the Harare Commonwealth Declaration, 1991, where the heads of
government of the countries of the Commonwealth had reaffirmed their
pledge that were set out in a Declaration of Commonwealth Principles
agreed by their predecessors at their Meeting in Singapore in 1971
which amongst them being that;

1. They believe in the liberty of the
individual under the law, in equal rights for all citizens regardless
of gender, race, colour, creed or political belief, and in the
individual’s inalienable right to participate by means of free and
democratic political processes in framing the society in which he or
she lives;

2. They recognise racial prejudice and intolerance as
a dangerous sickness and a threat to healthy development, and racial
discrimination as an unmitigated evil;

3. They oppose all forms of racial oppression, and they are committed to the principles of human dignity and equality.

They
stressed that Malaysian government continues to undermine human right
and civil liberties issues although they had pledged to the Harare
Convention and their membership with the United Nations Human Rights
Council.

Hindraf Event Coordinator, Mr Kannan whom came for the
peace protest at the KL Convention Centre said that this peace protest
is to seek CPA attention and urge them to bring up the serious
violation of Human Right and continues marginalization of Malaysian
Indians in the their meetings here. “As they are here on the ground
their should make effort to hear the plight of the marginalized
Malaysian Indians”, he said.

There were several police patrol cars
and personnel both in uniform and plain clothes watching the group in
briefand took pictures. The group later dispreased in peace after
holding the peace protest outside the KL Convention Centre almost 2
hours.

Mr Kannan also mention that it was success day as the group
successfully hand over the memo to several CPA delegates by hand and
the outside peace protest were allowed without any issue. He hope the
CPA and Malaysia government will look in to the request urgently.

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Camera in Camera during Hindraf 5 ISA Review

August 5th, 2008
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Not sure what “camera in camera” means, but Karpal Singh says its something not good:

The six-month review of the detention of the five Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leaders on July 1 was a “camera-in-camera”, with two senior federal counsel (SFC) conspiring with the investigating officer (IO), the High Court was told yesterday.

“The IO (Acting ACP Yusoff Mohd Amin) was present throughout the proceeding. Everything was held in camera. We agree that the public should be excluded, but it was a camera in camera. It was held in secret.

“Wahab (SFC Abdul Wahab Mohamed), Najib (SFC Najib Zakaria) and the IO  conspired to hold it in camera. Whatever happened behind the back of the defence and counsel, we don’t know,” said counsel Karpal Singh when submitting on his habeas corpus application, which sought the release of the five Hindraf leaders detained under the Internal Security Act yesterday. The five detainees are lawyers R. Kengadharan, 41, M. Manoharan, 47, V. Ganabatirau, 35, P. Uthayakumar, 47 and businessman K. Vasantha Kumar, 35.

At yesterday’s proceedings, Karpal told judicial commissioner Ridwan Ibrahim that the IO was not called to give evidence or to rebut the evidence given by the five.
It was also not disputed that the IO’s evidence was taken in   camera and that further discussions were held in camera with Najib, in
the absence of the five detained men and their counsel, he said.”We asked for the IO to be called. If there were any points that the IO made that touched on national security, objections could be made. Court discretion should be exercised judiciously. How can they anticipate that what the IO said would touch on national security?” he asked.

The advisory board of the detention centre in Kamunting was to search for the “unvarnished truth” and see if the detention was justified, he added.

He submitted that the board was wrong in not applying the trappings of a judicial enquiry as required, when hearing the
applicants’ representation.  SFC Datuk Mohd Yusof Zainal Abidin said the review by the board was not a judiciary enquiry but an executive function. “Thus, the right to cross-examine does not arise,” he said, when responding to Karpal’s complaint that he could not cross-examine the IO and that the IO did not cross-examine his clients’ evidence during the review.

On the claim that the board did not comply with procedures, he cited a case in which the then Federal Court judge Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad said: “It is not for the courts to make laws or  rules. If there is no such procedural requirement, then there cannot be
non-compliance thereof”.

Karpal was assisted by counsel Gobind Singh Deo, Ram Karpal, P. Ponnmogam, R.S.N. Rayer and M. Kulasegaran, while Mohd Yusof appeared for both respondents — home minister and the commandant of the Kamunting detention centre — with Wahab and Najib.
Ridwan fixed Sept 8 for decision.

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HINDRAF unhappy with Pakatan states

July 29th, 2008
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Very surprising indeed. in the pro government Star, HINDRAF coordinators Kannan and Thanenthiran were quoted as HINDRAF not regretting asking supporters to vote for opposition. They said many changes were seen after the elections, especially in Pakatan led states.

But today, in the pro-opposition Malaysiakini, a different tune is being sang. The report says that HINDRAF, together with two previously unheard of groups – Penang Makkal Sakti Welfare Association (Pemaswa) and Hindu Action Network (Han) are fed up with the “indifferent attitude of Pakatan Rakyat governments”.

These three groups are now asking for these Pakatan states to set up state Indian councils to be led by the menteri besar or chief minister. The suggested councils will plan and implement beneficial programmes
for the Indian community, with short, medium and long term goals.

Hindraf National Coordinator, Thanenthiran declares that the Pakatan government had failed to fulfill the promises. He said during the elections, Pakatan used the Hindraf tagline Makkal
Sakti but since winning they have not unveiled any policy to benefit
the community. “Pakatan Rakyat ruling parties, be it DAP in Penang, PAS in Kedah and
Perak and PKR in Selangor, seemed to have made empty electoral promises
to the Indians,” he added. He stressed Hindraf would continue to fight along the movement’s
18-point memorandum submitted to the federal government last year.

Pemaswa’s president, G Asohan also chips by saying that Indian leaders in the Pakatan government have “betrayed the Indian community’s trust in them” to deliver the goods. “Until today, the state governments, particularly Indian leaders, are resting on their laurels,” he said. He claimed that more from MIC, PPP and IPF have benefited from the DAP government in Penang than genuine Hindraf supporters.

HAN’s coordinator G Mugunthan criticised Penang’s elected Indian assemblypersons of protecting their
chronic self-interests when they rejected a previous DAP proposal for a
state council. Though DAP members were keen for a one-stop council, the DAP Indian
assemblypersons rejected it as “it will put undue pressure on them to
deliver.” “Now they are freely doing anything according to their
whims and fancies,” he said, adding that the appointment of an Indian
as Penang deputy chief minister has been more “a curse than a blessing”
to the community. “It has only helped some chronic characters from BN.”

The three groups plan to organise a joint dialogue session with all relevant Pakatan Rakyat heads of state governments over the issue.

As for me, in the short period since last August, HINDRAF had done the impossible. and brought immense self-confidence into the community. It may be a relatively short-lived shot in the arm for the community which was fed up with shoddy treatment from all corners. Post-elections, its a new voyage into unchartered areas. Here, HINDRAF, just like the Indian community, had to make sure its stand is clear. How the community’s newly acquired self-confidence is used may be out of HINDRAF’s control. As Waytha admitted in Singapore months ago (the famous misused interview), it is very likely that HINDRAF will cease to exist in the near future. If it has outlived its purpose – to create an awakening – then its time to retire HINDRAF. The spirit of Makkal Sakthi can take form in newer groups or agendas. It might even cleanse MIC, for all we know. But the contribution of HINDRAF is undeniable.

HINDRAF’s main agenda is to push its 18 point memorandum, and to free its detained leaders. They should stick to that and be clear. They should not meddle into many things (like PI Bala’s disappearance) and cloud the situation. They are apolitical. A pressure group. Their job is to push the community’s agenda (just, fair and logical ones) to the authorities. If group A does not help, then move to group B. Remember that political parties need Hindraf, not the other way around. If such parties conveniently forget HINDRAF now, they will be rudely reminded in the next election. Its not end of the world if Pakatan states neglect the community. In the end, these people will come begging for votes. The community have realised that the era of 50 years of empty promises are gone already. Now, 5 years only given, maybe lesser.

On another note, if the Pakatan led governments implement race-independent measures and policies that directly and indirectly benefit the community, HINDRAF should welcome those measures and policies. We have seen settlers getting land title and pig farms projects continuing, but partially-aided Tamils schools have not got their land. Perhaps the process is longer, but Pakatan leaders in Selangor, Penang and Perak must keep the community updated. What is the progress in getting the land? what are the problems they face? Is it due to federal laws?

The Indian community does not owe any party or individuals a living. Those who think that we should bow down and kowtow to others are seriously wrong. We don’t agree that some other group are supremacist, while we are slaves. We stand equal, shoulder to shoulder with other human beings, and are not fourth class citizens. The community may be stuck between two useless groups – the BN and the Pakatan, but it must never lose its self respect.

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