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Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email Posts Tagged ‘Hindraf’
india PM Manmohan concerned
December 1st, 2007 | Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email 
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said New Delhi was disturbed by reports about the use of force against the protesters in the multicultural Islamic country. 
The rally was officially in support of a multi-trillion dollar lawsuit accusing former colonial ruler Britain of being at the root of Indians' economic problems by bringing their ancestors here as indentured labourers in the 1800s.
gcc handover complaint to suhakam
November 30th, 2007 | Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email | Police slammed for 'racial stance' http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/75519 |
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The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) should come out to condemn acts of racial profiling by the government and the authorities, said a lobby group. The Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC), lodging a complaint about an incident in Batu Caves, Selayang, last Sunday, said these acts occurred when: • Almost 100 people were charged in court in connection with the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) rally in Kuala Lumpur; and • Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz referred to rally participants as penyangak (crooks).
Manohar said he believed this was racially motivated because the Bersih rally participants were mostly Malays, while the those at the Hindraf protest were mainly Indians. “Suhakam must find out why no one was remanded or charged over the Bersih rally… we believe there is some racial element involved,” he said. More than 40,000 people took part in the Bersih (Coalition for Free and Fair Elections) rally on Nov 10. About 200 people were arrested but have not been charged to date.
On Nazri’s penyangak remark, another GCC representative Charles Santiago told Khoo that such acts were unacceptable and unbecoming of a minister. “Such sinister attempts at racial profiling of a disadvantaged minority community as ‘violent people’ speaks volumes of the failure of race-based politics in Malaysia,” he said. He also urged Suhakam to issue a written condemnation of Nazri’s remark. Photo evidence GCC’s complaint letter was officially handed over to Khoo by several of those who said they were affected in the Batu Caves incident. Their allegations encompassed alleged use of excessive force by the police to disperse the crowd that had gathered there on Sunday morning, several hours ahead of the Hindraf rally in the city centre.
One photograph depicted several FRU members inside the compound – the site of one of the holiest Hindu shrines in Malaysia. Santiago said the FRU had entered the compound and assaulted people, including those who were there to perform prayers in conjunction with the holy festival of Karthikai. One victim, K Ramesh, said he and his family members had just finished performing their prayers, when the FRU struck. “They came in and arrested me and my brother. One of them pushed my mother and she fell,” he claimed, adding that he was forced to surrender his identity card and it was not given back.
He said the police locked the main entrance to the compound at about 4.30am, forcing many in the crowd to sit near the gate. Ashok said several of them were arrested as they tried to leave the compound, and that some angry people then hurled projectiles at the police. “After that, they just kept on pumping tear gas inside… (the police said) there was no body contact. That was absolutely rubbish. There was lots of body contact (when people tried to flee),” he said.
Approached for comments later, Khoo (photo) skirted a question on whether he felt there were human rights violations during the Batu Caves incident. “From what that has been conveyed, there appears to be a question to be addressed with regard to the interpretation of the law,” said Khoo. The upcoming commission meeting on Dec 10 will decide the next course of action based on complaints in hand. |
GCC representative M Manohar told Suhakam commissioner Prof Khoo Kay Kim today that the police had been selective in their actions, by remanding and charging Hindraf supporters but not those who attended the Bersih rally two weeks before. 
During the Hindraf rally in Kuala Lumpur, almost 400 people were arrested and 88 were 
Santiago used a series of photographs to show Khoo how the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) had fired tear gas and used water cannon against those caught within the temple compound. 
Another eyewitness, G Ashok Kumar ( photo), 47, told Khoo that he was with another group in Batu Caves intending to proceed to KLCC for the rally. 
Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan has steadfastly maintained that there was “no body contact” between the police and the crowd.
hindraf did not approach unity panel says ongkili
November 30th, 2007 | Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email Ongkili: Hindraf didn't approach unity advisory panel
PUTRAJAYA: Disgruntled group Hindraf has never approached the National Unity Advisory Panel over its grouses.
Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili said neither the panel, which was set up to hear grouses from Malaysians in the country, nor the Parliamentary Select Committee on National Unity and National Service that he chaired, had ever heard anything from Hindraf.
“We have had 250 groups from a diverse range of backgrounds approaching us and submitting some 600 memoranda and proposals on their grouses.
Hindraf has never tried to make an appointment to meet up with the panel or the committee.
“We will welcome any proposal from them,” he told reporters after a dialogue with Federal CID director Datuk Christopher Wan and Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation members at his office here Friday.
Dr Ongkili said groups should use only legal means to express their unhappiness. Resorting to illegal avenues such as rallies would only raise suspicions that they had other motives and intentions, he added.
As the minister in charge of national unity and integration, Dr Ongkili also said he had also been informed that his officers had attended some of Hindraf’s functions.
“They have gone to the grassroots to listen in during some of the meetings and they have reported to us that this group is intent on creating violence,” he said, urging all Malaysians to help preserve the country’s stability.
“Our officers as well as the 3,600 Rukun Tetangga members are monitoring the situation,” he said.
govt to ask hindraf pay for police equipment as well
November 30th, 2007 | Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/75495
Deputy Internal Security Minister Mohd Johari Baharom said the ministry and police were estimating the damage to public property and other losses caused by the demonstrators.
"The amount of losses will be conveyed to the Hindraf leaders and others involved," he was quoted as saying in Bernama.
"They also have to pay for the cost of equipment that the police had to use to quell Sunday's illegal demonstrations. The government will not allow them to escape paying."
students in Egypt angry Hindraf ignored King
November 30th, 2007 | Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email hmmm…so, they should have submitted memo to King, instead of high commission. No problem, hindraf can arrange another gathering. december looks to be full with 3 rallies scheduled. maybe january will do. 🙂
BERNAMA
source
CAIRO, Thu.:
Malaysian students in Egypt are angry with the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) for ignoring the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in highlighting the problems faced by the Indian community in Malaysia.
Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin said several groups of students who met him expressed their anger over Hindraf leaders' move to ask Britain's Queen Elizabeth II to intervene in Malaysia's internal affairs.
Their action was tantamount to challenging and showing disrespect to Malaysia's Constitutional Monarchy system and to Malaysians who are loyal to the country, he told reporters after meeting Egyptian Information Minister Anas Ahmed Nabeeh El-Feky here yesterday.
Zainuddin said: "In my view, by turning to Queen Elizabeth for help, Hindraf have portrayed themselves to be still under the British colonial rule and not as citizens of an independent and sovereign Malaysia.
"They have belittled the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in a subtle and a clever way, sidelining Malaysia's democratic system," he said.
