[Onthebarricades] MALAYSIA: Pro-democracy and anti-racist protests and repression, Nov-Jan 07/08

[Andy]

*  Police attack ethnic Indian protest, initiate clashes
*  Indians shave heads to protest jailing of leaders
*  Police squelch human rights rally, arrest 12
*  Riot police attack detention without trial protest
*  Police detain opposition leader, 20 activists in protest at parliament
*  Malaysian state tries to label ethnic Indian activists as having "terror 
links"
*  Protest leaders detained without trial
*  Ethnic Indian activists charged with "attempted murder" for fighting 
police
*  Ethnic Indian activist leader sues government over terror accusation

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7088877.stm

Malaysia police break up protest
By Robin Brant
BBC News, Kuala Lumpur

There was a heavy police presence in central Kuala Lumpur
Malaysian police have used tear gas and water cannon to disperse thousands 
of protesters who were marching in Kuala Lumpur to demand electoral reform.
The event was organised by a group called Bersih which is made up of 
opposition parties and dozens of non-governmental organisations.
The marchers were prevented from entering central Merdeka Square because 
police said they did not have a permit.
Police estimated the crowd at between 10-30,000 people.
Rising tension
Heavy rains could not stop the marchers as they made their way along the 
roads on the side of Merdeka Square.
Many of them were in the yellow shirts which organisers had asked them to 
wear.

Tension has been high in Malaysia ahead of the march
They were calling for changes to the electoral process in Malaysia to 
prevent fraud.
One demand is to use indelible ink to show who has voted.
Tension had been rising over the past few days with the prospect of violent 
confrontation at the march.
Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi said on Friday that he expected trouble, 
despite the police ban.
But participants told the BBC they had the democratic right to express their 
demands.
"We don't have to wait until election day, that's five years or more," one 
demonstrator told the BBC.
There was a heavy police presence and rally organisers said 20 people were 
arrested.
Although no one made it into the central square, a small group did march to 
the national palace, home of Malaysia's king, to present a memorandum 
detailing their concerns.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/25/2100610.htm?section=justin

Malaysia police fire tear gas to halt Indian protest
Posted Sun Nov 25, 2007 4:06pm AEDT
Malaysian police have used tear gas and water cannons to quell a street 
protest by more than 5,000 ethnic Indians, the second crackdown this month 
on a demonstration critical of the Government.
Thousands defied official warnings to stay away from a planned rally in 
central Kuala Lumpur, called by a Hindu rights group to draw attention to 
complaints of government discrimination against the minority ethnic Indian 
community.
At least one policeman was injured after protesters, wielding motorcycle 
helmets as weapons, clashed with riot police.
Protesters also threw bottles and drink cans at police in a stand-off 
outside the capital's iconic twin towers.
"We are here for our rights," one protester said.
"The British brought our forefathers here 150 years ago. Whatever the 
Government is supposed to give us, to look after our welfare, well, they 
have failed."
Despite tight security, some ethnic Indians gathered a few hundred metres 
from the British embassy, ostensibly to call on the former colonial ruler to 
make reparations for bringing Indians to Malaysia as indentured labour just 
over a century ago.
Some ethnic Indians, who make up about 7 per cent of the population, 
complain that they are marginalised in terms of employment and business 
opportunities by a government dominated by politicians from the majority 
race, the ethnic Malays.
The group had promised to hold a peaceful rally in the capital, but the 
Government had warned ethnic Indians not to participate, saying it could 
stoke racial tension.
- Reuters

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200712201010.htm

Ethnic Indians pray for release of leaders

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP): A group of minority ethnic Indians shaved their 
heads Thursday to protest the imprisonment of five community leaders who 
campaigned for equal rights in Muslim-majority Malaysia.

About 100 Indians gathered at the Batu Caves temple compound outside Kuala 
Lumpur to pray for the release of the leaders who were arrested last week 
under the Internal Security Act, which allows indefinite detention without 
trial.

Sixteen of them had their heads shaved on the banks of a nearby river and 
walked to the temple, carrying posters of Gandhiji, said S. Jayathas, one of 
the protesters.

Shaving their heads was ``a sign of protest against the ISA and to pray for 
their (leaders') freedom,'' Jayathas said, sporting a bald head.

The five leaders arrested under the ISA belong to the Hindu Rights Action 
Force, or Hindraf, which this year began galvanizing Malaysia's Indians, who 
account for 8 percent of Malaysia's 27 million people and are at the bottom 
of the economic and social ladder.

Muslim Malays, who are about 60 percent of the population, dominate politics 
and the civil service. Indians complain they are not given a fair share of 
Malaysia's wealth and are deprived of jobs, education and business 
opportunities. They have also been angered by the demolition of several 
Hindu temples in recent years.

The Hindraf leaders in jail were accused of threatening public security and 
inciting racial hatred after they organized an unprecedented Nov. 25 protest 
rally by some 20,000 Indians, in defiance of a government ban. The 
government has also accused them of having terrorist links but provided no 
evidence.

A charge of attempted murder was slapped against 31 people arrested during 
the rally for a non-life threatening injury to a policeman, but prosecutors 
dropped the case after a public outcry and appeals by civil society groups.

The government denies it discriminates against any race, and says most 
Indians are better off than many poor Malays. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad 
Badawi has also said he is willing to sacrifice individual freedoms to 
preserve stability and public security.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/12/21/stories/2007122155591300.htm

Hindraf organises novel protest

P.S. Suryanarayana

Demanding the release of the group’s leaders detained in Malaysia


— PHOTO: AFP

DRAWING ATTENTION: Malaysian ethnic Indian activists, carrying portraits of 
Mahatma Gandhi, stage a dharna in front of a temple at the Batu Caves in 
Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.


SINGAPORE: In a novel protest, the Hindu Rights Action Force on Thursday 
organised a “head-shaving ceremony” at a temple in Malaysia, demanding the 
release of the group’s leaders detained without trial under the Internal 
Security Act.

The ceremony was held at the famous Lord Muruga temple at the Batu Caves on 
the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.

The protest was also aimed at demanding the acquittal of 26 other ethnic 
Indians, now on bail, in a case of “illegal” assembly and alleged rioting, 
said to have taken place outside the same temple on November 25.

The 26 persons, who were first charged with attempting to murder a police 
officer and later denied bail, were acquitted and granted bail a few days 
ago.

They were accused of rioting shortly before a mass protest rally that 
Hindraf held in Kuala Lumpur on November 25 to focus attention on the 
“plight” of the ethnic Indian minority in Muslim-majority Malaysia.

Five Hindraf leaders are in detention without trial, accused of fanning 
“racial hatred” and posing “threat to national security.”
Prayer meetings


Hindraf has been holding prayer meetings at temples across Malaysia since 
the arrest of these five leaders.

On Thursday, the group took this prayer-campaign in a new direction. Sixteen 
Hindraf “supporters,” as different from members, had their heads shaved off 
on the banks of a river, about 400 metres from the temple at the Batu Caves.

After that, they marched to the temple, accompanied by nearly 200 others and 
offered prayers. This was followed by a short speech.

Narrating the sequence, Hindraf Coordinator Thanenthiran said, over 
telephone from Malaysia, that the 16 “supporters” involved in this novel 
protest included six teenagers and a three-year-old girl.

The objective, he said, was to sensitise the future generations of ethnic 
Indians as well to the issues of a fair deal for this section of citizens in 
Malaysia. Security personnel, present outside the temple, did not interfere 
with the ceremonial protest, Mr. Thanenthiran said.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=8844713a-09fd-4cbc-971a-bb167142acf9&ParentID=866fb306-c103-4a3f-9d15-9943793f8070&MatchID1=4618&TeamID1=3&TeamID2=4&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1163&MatchID2=4632&TeamID3=5&TeamID4=10&MatchType2=1&SeriesID2=1167&PrimaryID=4618&Headline=21+held+in+Malaysian+police+crackdown

Malaysian police crackdown on anti-govt protest, 21 arrested
Jaishree Balasubramanian, Press Trust Of India
Kuala Lumpur, December 09, 2007
First Published: 18:59 IST(9/12/2007)
Last Updated: 20:16 IST(9/12/2007)
A fortnight after crushing a massive rally by ethnic Indians, Malaysian 
police on Sunday arrested nine people, including 12 opposition leaders as it 
continued its crackdown on anti-government protesters who defied a ban to 
take out a rally in Kuala Lumpur.
About 50 people, including lawyers and activists, wearing surgical masks, 
staged a "Peace Walk" past Kuala Lumpur's landmark Independence Square, to 
mark World Human Rights Day on Monday but were stopped by over 300 
policemen.
Police detained nine people including five lawyers as protesters, who held 
banners that read "freedom of assembly" and "Government that abuses human 
rights is terrorist", marched to the Bar Council building.
The Bar Council, which represent some 12,000 lawyers, had earlier called off 
a planned march after it was denied permission by the police.
Police also arrested 12 members of an opposition coalition for taking part 
in a banned rally held on November 10 to demand electoral reforms.
It was followed by a November 25 rally by thousands of ethnic Indians 
against alleged marginalisation. Thirty-one people were charged with 
attempted murder for allegedly causing injury to a policeman during the 
protest.
Bar Council President Ambiga Sreenevasan told reporters that one of the 
lawyers was arrested after he tried to stop police from tearing down banners 
marking the International Human Rights Day.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200712091865.html

Anti-govt. protest in Malaysian capital, nine held

Kuala Lumpur (PTI): The Malaysian police on Sunday arrested nine people 
after protesters gathered here demanding "freedom of assembly" and accusing 
the government of rights abuses, a fortnight after the police crackdown on 
thousands of ethnic Indians who staged a rally against alleged 
mariginalisation.

A group of 50 people, including lawyers and activists, wearing surgical 
masks, staged a "Peace Walk" past Kuala Lumpur's landmark Independence 
Square, to mark World Human Rights Day tomorrow but were stopped by over 300 
policemen.

Local police chief Che Hamzah Che Ismail said eight people, including four 
lawyers, were detained for illegal assembly after defying an order to 
disperse, the state-run Bernama agency reported.

The protesters, who held banners that read "freedom of assembly" and 
"Government that abuses human rights is terrorist", gathered in front of the 
Sogo Shopping Complex before walking to the Bar Council building, about 2km 
away.

The Bar Council, which represent some 12,000 lawyers, had earlier called of 
a planned march after it was denied permission by the police.

Another lawyer was detained when he tried to stop the police from tearing 
down banners at the Bar Council's building. Accusing the police of 
high-handedness and of resorting to "bullying tactics," Bar Council 
President Ambiga Sreenevasan told reporters: "This is a sad day for human 
rights in Malaysia."

Justifying the police action, Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, who is also 
Internal Security Minister, said the Government does not practise double 
standard when taking action against law breakers even if they are lawyers.

"Even today I've been informed that police have arrested eight people. Even 
though they are lawyers, if they break the law, definitely action will be 
taken against them. "There is no favouritism whatsoever on this matter," he 
told reporters after giving away prizes to golfers here.

Former deputy prime minister Anwar Irahim, who had criticised the Nov 25 
crackdown on ethnic Indians, condemned the arrests as "scare tactics".

"The law is being used in Malaysia to subvert freedom and to suppress the 
people's fundamental democratic right to peaceful assembly," he said in a 
statement.

Malaysia's government as been shaken by recent street rallies, including one 
in early November when 30,000 demonstrators converged here calling for 
electoral reforms.

Thousands of ethnic Indians held a rally against alleged discrimination 
against the community that makes up eight percent of the population in the 
Muslim-majority country.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/01/05/asia/AS-GEN-Malaysia-Protest.php

Malaysian riot police break up rally to protest detention without trial law

The Associated Press
Published: January 5, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Banging batons against their shields, Malaysian 
police Saturday chased away hundreds of demonstrators who held a candlelight 
vigil to protest against a decades-old law allowing indefinite detention 
without trial.

A water cannon fired a single burst to drive away the last stragglers among 
the crowd in downtown Kuala Lumpur, ending a 90-minute standoff.

Police had banned the rally to protest the Internal Security Act. It was the 
latest in a series of protests that had rocked the government in recent 
months. Any gathering of more than four people requires a police permit.

"It is a peaceful gathering just to send a message that all citizens have a 
right to voice their feelings," said Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, chairman of the 
Abolish ISA Movement that organized the rally.

"This law is unjust. I think it is time to voice our human rights," he said, 
adding that the group would hold more protests.

About 300 people lit candles and gathered behind a police barricade that 
prevented them from marching to the nearby Independence Square, where they 
had originally planned to hold the protest.

Police gave them 15 minutes to disperse, during which the protesters chanted 
"No ISA!" before being pushed back by riot police and a water cannon truck.

The crowd retreated but gathered again about 100 meters (330 feet) from the 
police barricade. After a while, riot police began chasing protesters away. 
One person was seen being dragged away by police but it was unclear if he 
has been arrested.

Police officials declined to comment.

Malaysian opposition and human rights groups have repeatedly called for the 
ISA, a colonial-era law allowing indefinite detention without trial, to be 
repealed, saying the law is abused to silence dissidents. The government has 
said it is necessary to protect national security and ensure stability.

The ISA was most recently used to detain five ethnic Indian leaders who 
organized a massive rally on Nov. 25 to demand equal right for their 
minority community in the Muslim-majority country.

Saturday's protest was not as large as the one on Nov. 25 involving some 
20,000 people, but still reflected growing anger among Malaysians against 
the law.

"We have heard firsthand experiences of ISA detainees. I cringed when I 
heard how they were tortured," said Lim Sze Ming, a 29-year-old engineer. 
"The law has to go."

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iTBIkSkMSErxA4LVdNJfh_oaGkXg

Malaysia detains Anwar, arrests 20 at parliament protest

Dec 10, 2007

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) — Malaysian authorities Tuesday detained opposition 
figure Anwar Ibrahim at the capital's airport and arrested at least 20 
protesters who defied a ban on handing a petition to parliament.

The incidents were the latest moves in a government crackdown on its critics 
who have organised a series of street demonstrations that have drawn tens of 
thousands and sent shockwaves through the nation.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Monday he was willing to sacrifice 
public freedom to maintain national security, justifying the arrests of 
dozens of people on charges including attempted murder and sedition.

Anwar, the former deputy premier who became a vocal government critic after 
being sacked and jailed in 1998, said he was held for an hour on his return 
from a trip to Turkey and told he was on a "suspect list".

"Under the guise of preserving public safety, in the last three days the 
authorities have increased their repressive tactics against Malaysian 
citizens and arrested key opposition figures and civil rights leaders," he 
said.

"These repressive tactics are a sign that Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi's 
leadership of Malaysia has run its course."

An immigration spokesman told AFP he had no knowledge of Anwar's detention 
at the international airport, but that names for the blacklist are usually 
provided by police.

Keadilan officials said however that the move was linked to Anwar's 
involvement in the Bersih electoral reform movement which staged a mass 
rally last November as well as Tuesday's petition protest.

More than 400 police surrounded the parliament to block electoral reform 
campaigners who were forced to march there on foot after all roads leading 
to the building were closed off, causing traffic chaos in Kuala Lumpur.

Police said 20 people had been arrested, including several members of 
Anwar's Keadilan party and the hardline Islamic party PAS, while Keadilan 
said 25 were detained including a 13-year-old boy, although nine were later 
freed.

"We did not want the crowd size to get big," assistant police commissioner 
Sofian Yasin told AFP. "We detained the protestors as their arrived so that 
there would be no scuffles and clashes and no one would get hurt."

Trees lining the streets were posted with copies of a court order obtained 
by police that banned the campaigners from parliament.

The petition against a proposed constitutional amendment was eventually 
given to opposition members of parliament to be passed to the speaker.

It urged lawmakers to reject the proposal that would extend the retirement 
age for Election Commission officers, likely allowing current chairman Abdul 
Rashid Abdul Rahman to stay in the role during polls expected next year.

"Abdul Rashid, whose service is continuously marred with recurring electoral 
frauds and manipulations, is not fit for the job and must go immediately," 
it said.

Cabinet minister Nazri Aziz, who is in charge of justice issues, defended 
the police action.

"They want to come and demonstrate today's amendment to the constitution. So 
they want to come in big numbers. We will not allow that," he told reporters 
at parliament.

"We have taken action against them and we are using the court system to 
prosecute these people."

Last month, nearly 30,000 demonstrators calling for free and fair elections 
massed in the capital in a protest led by an alliance of opposition parties 
and civil society groups.

A week later, at least 8,000 ethnic Indians protested alleged discrimination 
by Muslim Malays who dominate the population.

Police dispersed the crowds with tear gas and water cannons and arrested 
scores of demonstrators.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200712111122.htm

Malaysia's opposition defies police ban on protest at Parliament

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Police arrested at least 12 opposition activists who 
tried to gather at Malaysia's Parliament for a pro-democracy demonstration 
Tuesday, thwarting the latest in a rare string of public protests.

Concerns also escalated that the government was clamping down on opposition 
activities after immigration officials briefly detained Anwar Ibrahim, one 
of Malaysia's top opposition figures, when he returned from an overseas trip 
Tuesday.

Activists had attempted to submit a protest note to Parliament over a 
government-backed plan to amend a law that would extend the tenure of the 
Election Commission chief, whom the opposition claims is biased. Authorities 
say the accusation is baseless.

Demonstrators headed to Parliament from several directions, but encountered 
police roadblocks that caused traffic bottlenecks across Kuala Lumpur. It 
was not clear how many protesters were involved.

The attempt was the latest in a slew of public protests that have rocked 
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's administration in recent weeks. 
Scores of activists have been charged with illegal assembly amid government 
warnings that such rallies would hurt national stability.

Separately Tuesday, Anwar _ who has backed the protests _ was informed by 
immigration authorities at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport that he 
has been placed on a watch list, the opposition People's Justice Party said.

He was freed after about 30 minutes and was trying to obtain more details. 
Immigration officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Authorities had declared Tuesday's protest unlawful, saying participants 
would face arrest. Malaysian laws forbid public gatherings of more than four 
people without a police permit.

Police backed by trucks mounted with water cannons, which held their fire, 
detained at least 12 activists near Parliament, said police official Ahmad 
Sofian Yassin.

``We are arrested for no apparent reason,'' said Hatta Ramli, an official in 
the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party. ``There is no chaos, no riot, 
nothing.''

Five activists slipped into Parliament while traveling in cars with 
opposition lawmakers. They handed copies of their protest note to 
legislators, but did not stage any protest.

Opposition leaders had insisted it would have been a small demonstration, 
unlike a Nov. 10 rally that drew some 30,000 people demanding electoral 
transparency ahead of national polls widely expected early next year.

That rally was followed by a similarly large protest by minority ethnic 
Indians on Nov. 25 to complain of racial discrimination and economic 
deprivation.

Police on Tuesday also arrested P. Uthayakumar, a key ethnic Indian leader 
who organized the Nov. 25 rally. It was not immediately clear what offense 
he would be charged with.

``I'm prepared for the worst,'' Uthayakumar told The Associated Press.

Prime Minister Abdullah has warned that street demonstrations would not be 
tolerated because they threaten public safety.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/07/asia/AS-GEN-Malaysia-Indian-Unrest.php

Malaysia probes ethnic Indian protest group for alleged terrorist links

The Associated Press
Published: December 7, 2007

SHAH ALAM, Malaysia: Malaysian authorities are investigating an ethnic 
Indian protest group for possible links to terror networks, including Sri 
Lanka's Tamil Tiger separatists, an official said Friday.
The Hindu Rights Action Force, or Hindraf, denied any terrorist ties, and 
accused the government of trying to stem support for the group after it 
staged a massive rally last month to highlight the economic plight of 
Malaysia's minority ethnic Indians.
Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail said concerns have surfaced that Hindraf 
is trying to establish links with organizations like the Tamil Tigers, which 
has been branded a terror group by the United States and European Union.
"Police have started investigating," Abdul Gani said. "This is not a game. 
It is a very serious matter. I think everyone ... is worried if there is a 
connection" with the Tamil Tigers.
Abdul Gani, speaking to reporters, declined to comment on whether Hindraf 
leaders might be charged with any terrorism-related offense, saying police 
need to finish their probe first.
Malaysia's national police chief, Musa Hassan, said late Thursday that 
"there have been signs of Hindraf trying to get the support and assistance 
of terrorists." He did not elaborate.
Lawyer P. Uthayakumar, a top Hindraf leader, called the claims of terror 
links the government's "desperate attempt ... to divert from the real 
issues, which are racism, marginalization and permanent colonization of the 
Indians."
"It's plain and obvious that we have always pursued legal and peaceful 
means," Uthayakumar told reporters. "They're running out of ideas."
The Tamil Tigers — banned in the United States as a terrorist group since 
1997 — have been fighting since 1983 to create a separate homeland for Sri 
Lanka's minority Tamils following decades of discrimination by governments 
controlled by the Sinhalese majority.
Fears of ethnic unrest have emerged in Malaysia after some 20,000 people 
participated in a Nov. 25 rally in Kuala Lumpur — the largest protest in 
years involving Indians, who form 8 percent of the population.
Hindraf, which organized the protest, is demanding equality and fair 
treatment for Indians, saying an affirmative action program that gives 
preferential treatment to Muslim Malays is tantamount to racial 
discrimination.
Malays make up about 60 percent of Malaysia's 27 million people and control 
the government, which denies there is discrimination and says the fruits of 
economic progress are shared by all.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ac97278c-a9e9-11dc-aa8b-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1

Malaysia detains protest leaders without trial

By John Burton in Kuala Lumpur

Published: December 14 2007 02:00 | Last updated: December 14 2007 02:00

Malaysia yesterday detained without trial five leaders of a local Hindu 
group who had staged a large anti-government protest last month.

The rally had threatened to trigger racial violence in the multi-ethnic 
country, officials said. But opposition groups said the arrests were part of 
a crackdown before general elections expected early next year.

Officials said they were taking action against the Hindu Rights Action Force 
(Hindraf) because it represented a threat to national security after it 
organised a rally in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, in November that attracted 
10,000 ethnic Indians. They had protested against alleged discrimination by 
the ethnic Malay-dominated government.

An adviser to Abdullah Badawi, the prime minister, said that Hindraf's 
activities "were creating a potentially volatile situation and we had to nip 
it in the bud. We're afraid it could lead to a backlash among Malays if it 
continued."

Malaysia suffered large communal riots between Malays and ethnic Chinese in 
1969 in which hundreds died and which led to a year-long state of emergency. 
In 2001, five people died in riots between Malays and Indians in a Kuala 
Lumpur district.

Hindraf's protest was the first direct challenge in years to Malaysia's 
long-standing policy of affirmative action for Malays, the country's poorest 
racial group in spite of making up a slight majority of the population. 
Hindraf had accused the government of engaging in "ethnic cleansing" after 
it demolished several Hindu temples that officials said had been built 
illegally. The group also alleged ethnic Indians, who make up 8 per cent of 
the population, were being denied university places and state jobs under the 
affirmative action policy.

A foreign diplomat in Kuala Lumpur said the

Hindraf protest was "unexpected and appears to have shocked the government".

Hindraf appealed for calm among its supporters, but asked them to organise 
nationwide prayers "for the speedy release of our leaders", who will be held 
for two years under Malaysia's internal security act.

The Democratic Action party, Malaysia's largest opposition group, said the 
government was using Hind-raf as a pretext to ban all demonstrations. An 
opposition alliance last month staged a rally of up to 30,000 people 
demanding reform of electoral laws they claimed favoured the government.

The government adviser defended the protest ban, saying any demonstrations 
would encourage further street protests.

Senior officials said Hind-raf posed a danger because it was trying to form 
links with militant groups on the subcontinent, including Sri Lanka's 
separatist Tamil Tigers. Most ethnic Indians in Malaysia are of Tamil 
descent.

Mr Abdullah had promised a more transparent and open government when he came 
to power in 2003. But analysts noted that he had overseen the arrest of 
local Islamic extremists in 2001 as internal security minister.

One sign of the government's concern is that it sponsored the creation of a 
new multi-racial group, Damai Malaysia (Peace Malaysia), which includes 
nearly 400 organisations, to promote ethnic harmony.

The group's formation followed inflammatory mobile phone texts urging Malays 
to defend their rights against agitation by Hindraf.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=fef7da24-dde6-4b67-a9db-db6a439cdab1&MatchID1=4618&TeamID1=3&TeamID2=4&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1163&MatchID2=4632&TeamID3=5&TeamID4=10&MatchType2=1&SeriesID2=1167&PrimaryID=4618&Headline=5+more+Indians+face+serious+charge

5 more Indians charged with attempted murder
December 01, 2007
Associated Press
Kuala Lumpur, December 05, 2007
First Published: 14:31 IST(5/12/2007)
Last Updated: 18:36 IST(5/12/2007)
Five ethnic Indians in Malaysia were charged on Wednesday with attempted 
murder, raising to 31 the number of people facing the harshest possible 
charge in connection with an injury to a policeman during a rally against 
racial discrimination.
The five men were produced in a sessions court along with the 26 others who 
were charged yesterday with attempted murder. Prosecutors accused the 31 of 
causing a head injury to the policeman during the banned demonstration on 
Nov 25 near a Hindu Indian temple.
Defence lawyers condemned the charge as a violation of the constitutional 
right to "worship and assemble," and urged the court to throw out the case 
against the 31 men, who face up to 20 years in jail if convicted.
"This is the first time in history of Malaysia that an unlawful assembly has 
been charged with attempted murder," said defence lawyer VK Ganesan.
"This is not healthy," he said. "The nature of the charge ... Is an overt 
threat to any right thinking member of society to their constitutional right 
to worship and assemble."
They were also charged with damaging public property and illegal assembly, 
while some were charged with rioting. All pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Nov 25 rally was the largest protest in at least a decade involving 
Indians, who form 8 percent of the population and are the country's 
second-largest minority after ethnic Chinese.
They are demanding equality and fair treatment, saying an affirmative action 
program that gives preferential treatment to Muslim Malays is tantamount to 
racial discrimination.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/01/04/asia/AS-GEN-Malaysia-Indian-Unrest.php

Ethnic Indian protest leader sues Malaysia's government over terror 
accusation

The Associated Press
Published: January 4, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: An ethnic Indian protest leader filed a US$28 
million (€19 million) defamation suit against Malaysia's government Friday 
for claiming his group had possible terrorist links.

Lawyers for P. Uthayakumar, a leader of the Hindu Right Action Force, or 
Hindraf, filed the suit in the Kuala Lumpur High Court seeking damages 
totaling at least 100 million ringgit (US$28 million; €19 million) from the 
government, the national police chief and the attorney general.

Uthayakumar was suing the government because it "attempted to blacken his 
reputation globally" with the claims of terror links, said N. Surendran, a 
lawyer involved in the case.

"They have not produced a shred of evidence to prove their claim," Surendran 
said.

Senior government and police officials could not immediately be reached for 
comment.

The suit stemmed from what Uthayakumar — who is currently jailed without 
trial for allegedly threatening national security — called "a campaign of 
vilification and demonization" launched by authorities, according to the 
lawsuit documents.

Government and police officials had said last month that Hindraf was being 
investigated for possible ties to terrorism, including the Liberation Tigers 
of Tamil Eelam of Sri Lanka. The LTTE has been branded a terror group by the 
United States and European Union.

The accusations came amid a crackdown on Hindraf after it organized a rally 
of about 30,000 ethnic Indians on Nov. 25 to protest the community's 
economic plight and alleged racial discrimination by the Malay majority 
government.

The protest was crushed by police with tear gas and water cannons.

Uthayakumar and four other Hindraf leaders were subsequently detained under 
security laws that allow indefinite detention without trial.

Hindraf has tried to highlight what it claims is racial discrimination faced 
by ethnic Indians, who form 8 percent of Malaysia's 27 million people. 
Malays, who are Muslims, make up about 60 percent of the population, and 
ethnic Chinese account for a quarter.

Many Indians say the Malay-dominated government does not give them a fair 
chance to get jobs and education. They also complain their temples are being 
systematically destroyed. The government has repeatedly rejected claims of 
any discrimination.