Hindraf takes cause to the UK

(source: Malaysiakini)
by K Kabilan

The Hindu Rights Action Force’s (Hindraf) international campaign for the release of its five leaders detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) continued to gain momentum with a successful peace protest held in London on Feb 1.

More than 200 people from all around the United Kingdom had gathered opposite the official residence of the British prime minister at No 10 Downing Street, holding placards showing support for Hindraf and its detained leaders.



Hindraf’s chairperson P Waythamoorthy, presently in exile in London, also participated in the gathering and delivered a speech outlining Hindraf’s struggle. The peace protest was organised by HindrafUK.


Organiser Rajah Thavalou said that the crowd was more than what he had expected.

"It was a successful event where we received a very good response from the international media," he told Malaysiakini.

Rajah added that a six-member delegation was allowed at the end of the protest to submit a petition to the UK government.



The group also submitted a similar petition for the president and prime minister of India, and chief ministers of Kerala and Tamil Nadu to the Indian High Commission in London.

He added that their demands included the immediate release of P Uthayakumar, M Manoharan, R Kenghadharan, V Ganabatirau and T Vasanthakumar who were detained on Dec 13, 2007 under the ISA for allegedly being a threat to national security.

Impose sanctions

The protesters also urged the UK and the Indian government to impose sanctions and embargoes against Malaysia.

"And especially in India, we want the Kerala state government to withdraw from participating in the proposed RM1.5 billion township project with the Malaysian government and companies," he added.

He said that the protesters also want the Malaysian government to grant equal rights to Indian Malaysians and to stop demolishing Hindu temples.

Previously, as part of Hindraf’s international campaign, the movement had organised similar peace protests in Canada and India.

When contacted, Waythamoorthy said that he was glad that the international Indian community was showing unity for the plight of their ‘brothers’ in Malaysia.



He also said that he was happy to hear both Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy Najib Abdul Razak admitting that the Indian community had some legitimate grouses.

"But strangely the prime minister has incarcerated the five messengers of truth. It makes no sense when he acknowledges the veracity of the neglect of Indian Malaysians but he sees it fit to imprison the very five who conveyed this messages," he said.

Waythamoorthy added that if Abdullah was sincere in his intention to improve the social, economic, educational and cultural conditions of the Indian community, he should then immediately release the Hindraf leaders.

"Their continued detention will not assure the remaining Indians in Malaysia that the BN government is honest about addressing the grievances of the ethnic Indians when the proponents of the concern are continued to be unjustly and inhumanely detained," he added.

Motion in Scottish parliament

Waythamoorthy also said that as part of his international campaign to gain support for Hindraf, he has managed to enlist the assistance of a Scottish parliamentarian to lodge a motion in the Scottish parliament.

Following that, a motion was lodged at the Scottish parliament yesterday by the Conservative MP for Highlands and Islands Jamie McGrigor, asking the UK government to make representations to the Malaysian government to press for the early release of the Hindraf five.

The MP said that he was concerned that the five were arrested and detained without trial.

He further "notes that these arrests come on top of other actions taken by the Malaysian government to curtail the human rights of the minority Indian Hindu community in Malaysia including the freedom of religion".



Hindraf came under fire from the Malaysian government after it organised a massive rally in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 25, attracting some 30,000 ethnic Indians who protested against their sidelining as a result of state policies.

Following that, the government first attempted to curb Hindraf’s influence by charging its keys leaders with sedition and eventually detained five of them under the ISA.

Waythamoorthy managed to escape arrest by flying out to India first, and then to the UK, to garner international support for the movement.