130 Malaysians on ISA hunger strike

130 Malaysians on ISA Hunger Strike

Photograph from Makkal Osai, Jan 21, 08
Article from malaysiakini.com, Jan 23, 08

The hunger strike is on. It is aimed at seeking the release of Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees and to demand for the draconian act to be abolished.

More than 130 people throughout the country are said to have gone on a week-long hunger strike for the purpose.

Among them are the five leaders of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) currently detained under the ISA in Kamunting, Perak.

They were joined by at least 21 people at a temple in Ipoh, while 108 others were reported to have started their hunger strike at the Sri Subramaniam temple at Port Klang, Selangor.

Latest developments, however, are rather sketchy. According to several Hindraf sources, hunger strikes have also been launched at a temple in Petaling Jaya as well as in Penang.

The strike, said one Hindraf supporter who identified herself only as ‘Suzy’, is aimed particularly at a Jan 24 hearing where the habeas corpus application of the ‘Hindraf 5' against their ISA detention would be heard.

Depending on how things turn out, however, the hunger strike may go on until Jan 28, said Suzy.

“During that time, they will only drink water every hour or so,” she told Malaysiakini when contacted. She also said many more were expected to join those already on the hunger strike.

Earlier today, Hindraf’s national coordinator RS Tharendran expressed his concern regarding the health of one of the detained Hindraf leaders - P Uthayakumar - who is a diabetic but has also gone on the hunger strike.

Appeal to Pak Lah

He appealed to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi - as the Internal Security Minister he had signed the orders for the leaders’ detention - to release them.

The ISA provides for indefinite detention without trial.

Hindraf hopes Abdullah “will make the effort on humanitarian grounds to release them,” said Tharendran in Putrajaya after submitting a letter to the Prime Minister’s office written by Uthayakumar’s five-year-old niece Vwaishhnnavi.

Vwaishhnnavi is the daughter of Hindraf chairperson Waythamoorthy, who is currently in the UK to garner international support for the group’s cause.

Abdullah will be liable if anything untoward happens to Uthayakumar, said Tharendran.

Uthayakumar was placed under ISA along with Hindraf leaders M Manoharan, R Kenghadharan, V Ganabatirau and T Vasantha Kumar after the government accused them of threatening national security.

Denying the accusation, the leaders have charged the government of seeking merely to suppress their efforts for equal rights and better treatment for the Indian community.

On Nov 25 last year, Hindraf held a rally in Kuala Lumpur that saw about 30,000 Indians gathering on the streets to protest their marginalisation and discrimination.

http://singaporeindianvoice.blogspot.com/2008/01/130-malaysians-on-isa-hunger-strike.html

Detained ethnic Indian leader in Malaysia hospitalised
24 Jan 2008, 1812 hrs IST,PTI

KUALA LUMPUR: An ethnic Indian leader in Malaysia, who was on a hunger strike to protest against the detention of himself and four others under a draconian security law, was hospitalised after complaining of weakness, his wife said on Thursday.

47-year-old P Uthayakumar, a member of non-governmental Hindu Rights Action Forum (Hindraf) which spearheaded protests against alleged marginalisation of ethnic Indians, was hospitalised this afternoon following the hunger strike, which the five men began on Monday.

"My husband is a diabetic and I suspect his sugar level might have gone down following the fast," his wife Indira Uthayakumar said.

The five Hindraf activists were detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for having organised a massive rally, declared illegal by the government, on November 25 last year demanding better treatment of ethnic Indians in the Muslim-dominated Malaysia. The rally was attended by over 20,000 people.

The ISA, which allows indefinite detention without trial, has come in for criticism by the human rights groups.

Uthahyakumar, a lawyer and brother Hindraf Chairman Waytha Moorthy, was put on a drip in hospital in northern Perak state after he complained of weakness.

Ethnic Indians, mostly Hindus from Tamil Nadu, comprise 8 per cent of Malaysia's population of 27 million people.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Detained_ethnic_Indian_leader_in_Malaysia_hospitalised/articleshow/2728616.cms

Detained Indian leaders, supporters begin hunger strike
Kuala Lumpur (PTI): Five top ethnic Indian leaders, detained under Malaysia's draconian security law, and scores of their supporters on Monday began a hunger strike to protest their incarceration and the alleged marginalisation of the community in the multi-racial country.

The five leaders of the non-governmental Hindu Rights Action Front (Hindraf) had organised a massive rally here on November 25 to raise the grievances of ethnic Indians over alleged discrimination in the Muslim-majority country.

The Malaysian government has denied the allegations.

The five leaders are currently held under the tough Internal Security Act that allows indefinite detention without trial.

Meanwhile, scores of supporters of the five leaders also joined the hunger-strike on two locations.

They said while their five leaders -- P Uthayakumar, V Ganabathirau, T Vasanthakumar, R Kenghadharan and M Manoharan -- would go on hunger strike inside the detention centre, they would do it outside for five days, one for each of the detained.

"Thirty supporters were taking part in the water-fast for five days at a Hindu temple in Port Klang in Selangor state", Rama, spiritual adviser to the Hindraf movement told PTI.

Rama said he did not have the figure as yet of the supporters who were fasting in another temple in Penang state in Northern Malaysia.



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http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200801211864.htm

Hunger strike: Hindraf leader Raidu fainted this afternoon
January 23, 2008
I visited Raidu and other supporters who were on hunger strike in solidarity with the Hindraf 5 this morning again at the Balasubramaniam Temple in Jalan Limbongan, Port Kelang.Shortly after talking to me, Hindraf leader Raidu Rao fainted and was sent to the hospital immediately with the help of the Red Crescent Society. I hope he will recover soon. Raidu was one of the 30 persons who started hunger strike since 12pm last Sunday.The siprit of the hunger strikers were fairly high. There are 5 ladies among them.Their action was scheduled to end either on this Friday evening or Saturday afternoon.
Lst night, some 10,000 worshipers gathered at the same temple to celebrate Thaipusam. It was reported that very few people turned up at the Batu Caves temple. There was no traffic jams near Batu Caves this morning!
In the gathering last night, NGO leader Arumugam openly urged the people to support the opposition to effect political changes in the country.
DAP Selangor has conducted a hinger strike last Sunday (from 8am to 6pm with no drink and food) at our Port Klang office. The event attracted some 45 supporters.
We will certainly step up our actions if the BN Govt continues to detain the Hindraf 5 without justification.
130 on ISA hunger strike
Fauwaz Abdul Aziz | Jan 23, 08 11:40am Malaysiakini
The hunger strike is on. It is aimed at seeking the release of Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees and to demand for the draconian act to be abolished.More than 130 people throughout the country are said to have gone on a week-long hunger strike for the purpose.Among them are the five leaders of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) currently detained under the ISA in Kamunting, Perak.
They were joined by at least 21 people at a temple in Ipoh, while 108 others were reported to have started their hunger strike at the Sri Subramaniam temple at Port Klang, Selangor.
http://media1.malaysiakini.com:8080/108/6ee9297979cc0e8ede76146007cba1cc.gif
http://media1.malaysiakini.com:8080/108/43ce66c83f2df5463a2f3fa387299b1c.jpg
http://media1.malaysiakini.com:8080/108/f39952841af1ebd3f875ebccbb5086a1.jpg
Latest developments, however, are rather sketchy. According to several Hindraf sources, hunger strikes have also been launched at a temple in Petaling Jaya as well as in Penang.
The strike, said one Hindraf supporter who identified herself only as ‘Suzy’, is aimed particularly at a Jan 24 hearing where the habeas corpus application of the ‘Hindraf 5′ against their ISA detention would be heard.
Depending on how things turn out, however, the hunger strike may go on until Jan 28, said Suzy.
“During that time, they will only drink water every hour or so,” she told Malaysiakini when contacted. She also said many more were expected to join those already on the hunger strike.
Earlier today, Hindraf’s national coordinator RS Tharendran expressed his concern regarding the health of one of the detained Hindraf leaders - P Uthayakumar - who is a diabetic but has also gone on the hunger strike.
Appeal to Pak Lah
He appealed to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi - as the Internal Security Minister he had signed the orders for the leaders’ detention - to release them.
The ISA provides for indefinite detention without trial.
Hindraf hopes Abdullah “will make the effort on humanitarian grounds to release them,” said Tharendran in Putrajaya after submitting a letter to the Prime Minister’s office written by Uthayakumar’s five-year-old niece Vwaishhnnavi.
Vwaishhnnavi is the daughter of Hindraf chairperson Waythamoorthy, who is currently in the UK to garner international support for the group’s cause.
Abdullah will be liable if anything untoward happens to Uthayakumar, said Tharendran.
Uthayakumar was placed under ISA along with Hindraf leaders M Manoharan, R Kenghadharan, V Ganabatirau and T Vasantha Kumar after the government accused them of threatening national security.
Denying the accusation, the leaders have charged the government of seeking merely to suppress their efforts for equal rights and better treatment for the Indian community.
On Nov 25 last year, Hindraf held a rally in Kuala Lumpur that saw about 30,000 Indians gathering on the streets to protest their marginalisation and discrimination.
A Hindraf Valentine: ‘Mr PM, take my roses’
Fauwaz Abdul Aziz | Jan 22, 08 4:34pm Malaysiakini
Dressed in a frilly dark-red dress and wearing pom-poms in her hair, five-year-old Vwaishhnnavi was all decked out to deliver a letter to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. What she wanted was a ‘date’ for Valentine’s Day.
Her letter, submitted through the premier’s aide at his office in Putrajaya this morning, invited him to accept roses from her and hundreds of other children on Feb 16 (Valentine’s Day is observed on Feb 14, traditionally with gifts like flowers).
But this was no ordinary child and not your typical expression of love from yet another star-struck admirer of the prime minister.
Vwaishhnnavi is the only child of Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) chairperson and lawyer P Waythamoorthy, who is currently in self-imposed exile in London.
Her uncle, Uthayakumar, the movement’s legal adviser, has been detained with four others for two years under the Internal Security Act.
The planned parade of flower-bearing children and their parents to Parliament House next month is to petition Abdullah for the release of the Hindraf leaders who were detained on his orders, on Dec 13 last year.
In a three-page handwritten letter, Vwaishhnnavi also asked that the gathering of supporters be protected from any untoward incident.
“I am doing this for the rights of Indians in our country and for my five uncles whom you have put them [sic] in prison,” reads the letter.
“Please protect me and others coming to Parliament from the brutal attack of police who may use tear gas and chemical (-laced) water. Mr PM, I am coming because I want to give you beautiful flowers… You must wait for me at Parliament to take my roses.” [See full letter]
Other than the flowers, the group hopes to hand over to Abdullah an 18-point memorandum on the needs of the Indian Malaysian community.
Most of the talking this morning was done by Hindraf national coordinator RS Thanendran and its spokesperson S Manickavasagam.
Vwaishhnnavi was quiet throughout. She knew, though, how to smile sweetly as photographers and television crew focused their lenses on her.
Hindraf’s influence ‘evident’
Asked what they had in mind if denied a police permit to assemble outside Parliament, Manickivasagam said the peaceful gathering would go on even if a permit is not issued. An application will be submitted tomorrow to the police.
“We are not bringing weapons or anything (like that). These are flowers that we are bringing to the prime minister,” said Manickavasagam, who is also a member of the PKR supreme council.
http://media1.malaysiakini.com:8080/108/9f029940bb3ae1b465f77ffeecea7464.jpg
Echoing this, Thanendran said the premier should set an example to the children by allowing the peaceful gathering.
“We will apply for the permit, (so) grant us the permit. We will abide by all the laws and regulations. We’ll never break any laws. We’re only worried that they (the police) will set a bad example,” he said.
To a suggestion that the group would be using children to further its goals, he said the gathering on Feb 16 is to educate the younger generation and impress on them the need to struggle for their rights.
“We are taking them (along) with the consent of their parents. We are doing this for their future,” he said.
The first gathering by Hindraf on Nov 25 last year saw a gathering of about 30,000 Indians suppressed by riot police.
Despite the government’s reluctance to accord legitimacy to Hindraf, said Thanendran, it was evident that it has succeeded in forcing recognition that the Indian community has legitimate grievances.
He cited Abdullah’s announcement on Sunday declaring a public holiday for Thaipusam - a move sought by community leaders for at least 20 years.
Abdullah also announced the creation of a special cabinet committee to look into eradication of poverty, as well the establishment of a task force under the home ministry to look into the plight of an estimated 400,000 Indians who are without identification documents.
“After Hindraf’s (Nov 25 demonstration of) people power, (many things) came into (play),” said Thandendran.
He also described Hindraf as a “non-political” group that supports any party struggling for the rights of Indian Malaysians.
However, he said actions against Hindraf could well influence the voting choices of Indians in the upcoming general election.
“We are a NGO asking for basic human rights which (Indians) have been deprived (of) and (we have been) discriminated against for the past 50 years,” he added.
“If the five (Hindraf leaders) are still detained in Kamunting (camp in Perak) and (elections are called), it will affect (choices made by voters).”
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