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30,000 Hindraf protesters rally in KL streets

November 25th, 2007
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30,000 Hindraf protesters rally in KL streets
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/75250
Nov 25, 07 10:22am

About 30,000 protesters demonstrated under the shadows of Kuala Lumpur’s iconic Twin Towers after their efforts to petition the British High Commission was thwarted by the police with tear gas and chemical-laced water cannon.

The protesters had attempted to gather outside the high commission early this morning but thousands were pushed back by the riot police to outside a two-kilometre radius of the venue.

Crowds quickly grew at various points in the city, and were blocked by police and Federal Reserve Unit officers.

At its height, there is an estimated 30,000 people scattered over a number of areas in the vicinty of the high commission.

An estimated 10,000 gathered along Jalan Ampang, near Hotel Maya, with a further 5,000 on Jalan P Ramlee just before Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC).

Another 10,000 demonstraters were at the Jalan Tun Razak-Jalan Ampang interchange.

About 5,000 people were stopped at the Jalan Ampang and Middle-Ring-Road intersection.

The protesters – a mix of young and old Indian Malaysians – seemed to have come from all over the country.

At about 10am, the crowd along Jalan Ampang, near Hotel Maya, were addressed with loudhailers by Hindraf leaders, including P Uthayakumar. PKR information chief Tian Chua and DAP leader Ronnie Liu also addressed the rally.

, the Hindraf leaders ended their speeches. But thousands of protesters continue to mill around the KLCC areas playing a cat-and-mouse game with the police water cannon.

However at 11am, the crowd has moved from KLCC to edge closer to the British High Commission. Thousands faced off riot police at the key Jalan Ampang and Jalan Tun Razak intersection near Ampang Park. 

At 1pm, after negotiations with the police, Uthayakumar arrived to give a short speech and urged the crowd to disperse peacefully. The crowd was seen walking back down towards Jalan Sultan Ismail, away from the British High Commission. 

'This is outrageous'

Hindraf leader A Sivanesan condemned the police for turning Kuala Lumpur into a war zone.

"Things are getting out of hand. We blame the police. They have beaten women and children. This is outrageous," he told Malaysiakini.

Lawyer Haris Ibrahim, a member of the Bar Council monitoring team, was stunned by the heavy-handed police action against the protesters.

"I'm not happy with the way the police are handling the crowd,' he said. 

DAP member of parliament M Kulasegaran was also upset with the crackdown.

"Over the last 50 years Indian have been marginalised in this country. And we now want the same rights as enjoyed by other communities," he told AFP.

"They have no right to stop us from protesting today. This is the will of the people," he added.

Petition to Queen Elizabeth II

The planned protest is to support a US$4-trillion (RM14-trillion) lawsuit by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) against Malaysia's former colonial power for bringing Indians to Malaysia as indentured labourers and exploiting them for 150 years.

Furthermore, the suit sought a declaration that the Reid Commission Report 1957 failed to incorporate the rights of the Indian community when independence was granted, resulting in discrimination and marginalisation to this day.

The quantum being sought is about US$2 million for every Indian currently residing in Malaysia.

Following the filing of the suit, Hindraf held nationwide roadshows explaining to grassroots about the case.

Coupled with their work to prevent rampant state-sanctioned demolition of Hindu temples, Hindraf won over a wave of support for their cause.

Today's memorandum was to petition Queen Elizabeth II to appoint a Queen's counsel to argue the case on their behalf.

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speak up but stay within the law says Najib

November 25th, 2007
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People can speak up, but stay within the law, says Najib

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ALOR STAR: Malaysians have every right to speak up but it is against the law to utter seditious words that could lead to racial clashes, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak,  “People can speak up, but they can’t break the law,” he said. Najib said this when asked to comment on the three members of Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) who were charged under the Sedition Act 1948. 

The three accused – lawyers P. Waythamoorthy, P. Uthayakumar and V. S. Ganapathi Rao – claimed trial to the charges. The three members allegedly uttered seditious words during a gathering in Batang Berjuntai in Selangor on Nov 16. “Action was taken against the Hindraf members because of the seditious speeches and not because of their plan to organise an illegal gathering in front of the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. “Regardless of who they are, we will take action under the Sedition Act against those who utter words that could stir anger among other races,” Najib said, describing the speeches made by the three men as very seditious. 

Najib was speaking to newsmen after opening the Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) Entrepreneur Carnival at Darul Aman Stadium here yesterday. On the planned gathering, Najib said those involved would have to face the music because the police did not grant them a permit. “The law is very clear. Those who want to hold gatherings must get a police permit first. People cannot hold such gatherings without a police permit. This is against the law and those involved should face the risk.” 

The group had planned to stage the assembly to submit a petition with 100,000 signatures to Queen Elizabeth II to appoint a Queen’s Counsel to represent the Indian community in a class action suit against the British government for bringing Indians as labourers to the then Malaya and exploiting them. The suit, filed at the Royal Courts of Justice in London by Waythamoorthy in August, seeks compensation of up to US$4tril (RM13.5tril) or US$1mil for every Indian in Malaysia.

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Hindraf says just give us an hour to hand petition

November 25th, 2007
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Hindraf: Just give us an hour to hand petition

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KUALA LUMPUR: The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) will go ahead with its gathering today and has asked to be given “one hour maximum” to hand over its petition to the British High Commission. 

A. Sivanesan, one of the lawyers representing the three Hindraf members who were charged with sedition at the Klang Sessions Court on Friday, said the gathering would go ahead as planned. 

He noted that on Friday, a huge crowd had gathered in Klang outside the court and made its way to the Sri Rajeshwari temple a kilometre away and “not a single flower pot was damaged.” 

“The Government need not fear. It is an orderly crowd,” he said of today’s planned gathering. 

“It is away from the city and 60% of the shops in that area are closed on Sunday. We are not going to be a nuisance to the people,” he added.  

Sivanesan believes the police had overreacted by having roadblocks all over the city. 

“The duty of the police should be to control the traffic – nothing more than that. 

“Just give us a chance. It will be an hour maximum. We will hand over the petition to the British High Commission, speak to the crowd, and then we will go back,” he said. 

Meanwhile, the five lawyers who were served a restraining order on Friday morning barring them from organising or participating in the rally have asked for an immediate hearing to appeal against it. 

The five – P. Waythamoorthy, P. Uthayakumar, V. S. Ganapathi Rao, R. Kenghadran and M. Manoharan – faxed 10 copies of their notice to the Kuala Lumpur High Court. 

Waythamoorthy, Uthayakumar and Ganapathi Rao were charged with sedition later that day. 

The law firm, which applied for the notice of appeal, said the five were dissatisfied with the magistrate’s court decision to issue the court order against them. 

They asked the court for immediate decision in view of the fact that the planned gathering was today. The courts are closed on weekends.

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PM and DPM on hindraf organisers arrest

November 24th, 2007
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NST: PM: Hindraf leaders charged with sedition after thorough probe

S. Retnanathan, BERNAMA

KAMPALA, Sat.:

Police charged in court three leaders of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) under the Sedition Act yesterday only after monitoring their activities over a certain period, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said today. 

“They are deemed to have gone against the Sedition Act and we had to take action… it is not because they had planned to hold a rally in front of the British High Commission (tomorrow),” he said.

The Prime Minister said he was told the police have been watching their activities, including recording their speeches and statements, over a span of time. Abdullah, who is also Internal Security Minister, was speaking at a press conference after attending the first day of the two-day Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

Abdullah said police investigations showed Uthayakumar, Waythamoorthy and Ganapathi Rao had breached the Sedition Act. “If they are wrong, then they are wrong. We are not drumming up charges against them. For us, if someone is wrong, then the person must be charged and brought to justice. “Once in court, we can hear what they have to say… for sometime now these three people have been getting carried away saying things that are against the law,” he said.

Asked about the planned rally, the Prime Minister said the country had its way for the people to voice their grouses. “Street demonstrations are not the way. We are not a nation where the people cannot voice their grievances, but it has to be done in the proper way. “We have elections… they can contest, they can campaign, ask for votes. In our elections, anyone can contest… we have never denied any registered political party from contesting in the elections, they are free to contest,” he added.

THE STAR: Don't jump to conclusions, says PM

source

By DEVID RAJAH

KAMPALA (UGANDA): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has urged the public not to jump to conclusions and view police action against three members of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) as racial in nature.  "It has nothing to do with race. People should stop linking or viewing everything that happens in the country as a racial matter," he said.  He added that people should not be too quick to make such unfounded claims.  

"Those who commit offences will have to face charges," Abdullah told Malaysian journalists at the end of the first day of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting here.  Abdullah, who is also the Internal Security Minister, said police had evidence to charge the three men for making seditious statements and speeches.  

The police have been monitoring the activities of the three men and their group for a while now, he said. "We have to take action if these people have clearly committed offences," said Abdullah, adding that the arrest and charging of the three members had no connection with the planned gathering by Hindraf outside the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. 

NST: Hindraf leaders charged for inciting racial issues — Najib

BERNAMA

ALOR STAR, Sat.:

Three leaders of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) were charged in court yesterday for inciting racial issues and arousing the anger of other races, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said today. 

The Deputy Prime Minister said Hindraf chief P. Waythamoorty, his brother Uthayakumar and V. Ganabatirau were not charged because of the rally in front of the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow. He said anyone who fanned racial sentiments and instigated the people would be charged in court as their actions breached the country’s laws. “No matter who they are, if they are found to be giving or have given seditious speeches that arouse the anger of the other races, they can be charged. “They can speak up but cannot break the law. If their speeches are seditious and instigative and can spark racial clashes, legal action will be taken against them,” he told a press conference after launching the Amanah Ikhtiar Entrepreneur Carnival.

Najib said the country’s laws explicitly state that anyone intending to organise a gathering must get a police permit but if they still went ahead with the unlawful assembly, they must be prepared to face the law for their defiance. Lawyers Waytha Moorthy, 41, Uthayakumar, 46, and Ganabatirau, 34, were charged in the Klang Sessions Court with uttering seditous words in Tamil at a gathering in Batang Berjuntai, Kuala Selangor, on Nov 16. They claimed trial to the charge.

They were charged under Section 4 of the Sedition Act 1948 (Revised 1960), which states that anyone who utters any seditious words will be liable to a maximum RM5,000 fine or three years’ jail, upon conviction. The seditious tendency includes inciting racial hatred and bringing the government and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong into contempt. It applies to an act, speech, words, or publication. It includes any phrase, sentence, or combination of words, oral or written. The three are also said to be key players in the Hindraf-initiated gathering tomorrow. Police have refused permission for the rally for fear of public disorder.

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hindraf ask for maximum one hour

November 24th, 2007
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One hour max, says Hindraf

source

By SHAHANAAZ HABIB

KUALA LUMPUR: The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) will go ahead with its gathering on Sunday and asks to be given "one hour maximum" to hand over its petition to the British High Commission. 

A. Sivanesan, one of the lawyers representing the three Hindraf members who had been charged with sedition in the Klang Sessions Court on Friday, said Sunday's gathering would go ahead as planned. 

Sivanesan said Sunday's planned gathering outside the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur would be peaceful and orderly. 

"It is away from the city and 60% of the shops in that area are closed on Sunday. We are not going to be a nuisance to the people," he added.  

The police had said it would not issue a permit for the gathering and warned people against attending it. Sivanesan pointed out that the British High Commission had already said there would be someone at the commission to accept Hindraf's petition. 

"Just give us a chance. It will be an hour maximum. We will hand over the petition to the British High Commission, speak to the crowd, then we will go back," he said. 

The Hindraf gathering is to hand over a petition to the British Commission asking for Queen Elizabeth II to appoint a Queen's counsel to represent the Indian community in a class action suit against the British Government for bringing Indians as indentured labourers to then Malaya and exploiting them. 

The group has filed a US$4 trillion (RM13.5 trillion) suit at the Royal Courts of Justice in London in August claiming that the British were to blame for the marginalisation of Indians in Malaysia. 

The suit is equivalent to US$1mil (RM3.4mil) for every Indian in Malaysia.  

On Friday, three Hindraf members – lawyers P. Uthayakumar, his brother Waythamoorthy and V.S Ganapathi Rao – were charged in the Klang Sessions Court under the Sedition Act for allegedly uttering seditious words to incite hate in their speeches at a gathering in Batang Berjuntai on Nov 16.

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