Hindu Rights Action Force of Malaysia totally denies any truck with LTTE

Penang, 10 December, (Asiantribune.com): P.Uthyakumar, legal adviser, Hindu Rights Action Force of Malaysia (HINDRAF) denied any truck with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a separatist Tamil outfit from Sri Lanka. He said that the terrorism allegation was leveled against them to lay a foundation to detain without trial of

the HANDIRAF leaders under the Draconian Internal Security Act to charges for other criminal offenses and deny us bail like the 31 because we are suppose to be terrorists and a threat to National Security.
Leaders of Malaysian rights group HINDRAF, which last month organized mass anti-discrimination protests that were broken up with tear gas and water cannons have already been slapped with sedition charges. The Malaysian authorities have accused these ethnic Indian activists of having links with Sri Lanka's Tigers; a charge the campaigners said could see them detained under internal security laws.

P.Uthyakumar said that Hindu Rights Action Force of Malaysia (HINDRAF) is a coalition of 30 Hindu Non-Governmental organizations committed to the preservation of Hindu community rights and heritage in Malaysia. He added there is another reason for the government to level such charges, because they think that we have managed to convince and made inroads with India, European, British and the American Governments about the atrocity in Malaysia against the Indians, so that we no longer enjoy their support of the international community and therefore the allegation of terrorism is thrown in.

He added, also general elections are around the corner and they are trying to play to the Malay Muslims majority political gallery that they have punished the Indians and the Malay Muslims must get together. Basically they are playing racial politics you know.

Uthayakumar pointed out that Malaysian Tamil Minister Sami Velu is a proxy of the UMNO led Government. In exchange for the salary, the royal awards and also some Government contracts he may gets, his job is to cheat the Indian community. His full time job is to cheat the Indian community and short change the Indians.

Given below the excerpts of the interview with P.Uthayakumar legal advisor and one of the leaders of Hindu Rights Action Force, of Malaysia (HINDRAF):

Asian Tribune: initially a general question, tell us what is happening now?

P. Uthyakumar: What is happening is our HINDRAF leaders and supporters, you may know, a total of 31 people are being arrested and detained before trial and they were charged for attempted murder when they actually went to the temple, the Malaysians holiest shrine for praying. They were fired at with tear gas and water cannon, and they were hit with baton. Look at the charge very carefully - 31 people were arrested and charged with attempted murder of one riot police man, who was in the group of 500 policeman.

How can 31 people attempt to murder one policeman? It does not make any sense. But Attorney-General came personally to the session’s court and he participated and he made sure that bail was not granted for them, because they said these people are all violent, they are threat to National Security and he denied bail to all 31 of them, just to punish them. Whereas before that there were 9 other peaceful assembly, which was attended by mainly Malay Muslims but they did not remand or charge anybody and did not deny bail to any of them.

So this seems to be a racist and vindictive prosecution and malicious prosecution. Ours is a truthful struggle, we are asking for the United Malay National Organization (UMNO - Malaysia's ruling political party), led Government to ‘Stop Racisms against Indians’, ‘Stop the Marginalization against Indians. and to ‘Stop the Permanent Colonialization of the Indians. ‘

Even after the British has left the Indians in Malaysia still are colonized by the Malay Muslims.

Asian Tribune: What happened today?

P. Uthyakumar: Today we had prayers in Butterworth, located about 450 kilometer north of Kula Lampur in the Mari Amman temple at 11:00 AM and in Penang Island at Sri Krishna Bahavan temple at 6:00 PM. In our special prayers, we asked for the release of the 31 people on bail and we prayed for them that they should be released immediately. As a matter of symbolism, both in Butterworth, as well as in Penang Temples, we released 31 pigeons to symbolize their freedom. That is what happened today.

Asian Tribune: What about Sami Velu, the Tamil Minister’s position regarding this issue?

P. Uthyakumar: Sami Velu is a proxy of the UMNO led Government. In exchange for the salary, the royal awards and also some Government contracts he may gets, his job is to cheat the Indian community. His full time job is to cheat the Indian community and short change the Indians.

Asian Tribune: Is Sami Velu a Hindu?

P. Uthyakumar: He is the only Hindu Indian Minister in the Cabinet, but he has got no power. He has got zero power in the Cabinet. He is only a Mandore (in our language it is called supervisor) with the UMNO party. So he has got no power he cannot do anything, he is the Mandore the supervisor for the UMNO party.

Asian Tribune: There are allegations that you are working hand in hand with LTTE?

P. Uthyakumar: You see yesterday, I have lodged a police report against the Prime Minister, Attorney General, Law Minister and the Inspector General of Police, challenging them to produce the evidence and make it public in a press conference attended by the local and the foreign media within 24 hours of 3 PM yesterday. (The full text of his police report is given at the end of this interview)

Failing which, I will presume that the allegation is baseless and made only for political purposes and to divert away from the original issues that is racism against Indians, marginalization and permanent colonialization against Indians.

The terrorism allegation is to lay a foundation to detain without trial of the HANDIRAF leaders under the Draconian Internal Security Act to charges for other criminal offenses and deny us bail like the 31 because we are suppose to be terrorists and a threat to National Security.

This is also another reason because they think that we have managed to convince and made inroads with India, European, British and the American Government about the atrocity in Malaysia against the Indians, so that we no longer enjoy their support of the international community and therefore the allegation of terrorism is thrown in.

And also general elections are around the corner and they are trying to play to the Malay Muslims majority political gallery that they have punished the Indians and the Malay Muslims must get together. Basically they are playing racial politics you know.

Asian Tribune: I want to ask you some question, are you sure you are not working hand in hand with the LTTE?

P. Uthyakumar: You see, we had the protest on the 25th of November and today only the 9th of December. How come this allegation never came any time before this? Why?

Asian Tribune: I don’t know?

P. Uthyakumar: We have been doing work for the last 10 years, this allegation has never surfaced.

Asian Tribune: I am asking you a simple question. You may be well aware that Asian Tribune is against terrorism. We want to know whether you are with LTTE or not with LTTE?

P. Uthyakumar: Definitely No!

Asian Tribune: That’s all?

P. Uthyakumar: If you don’t believe me you may contact Mr. Prabakaran and ask him.

Asian Tribune : Ha .. Ha… Ha .. So you have contact with Mr. Prabakaran?

P. Uthyakumar: No we never contacted Mr. Prabakaran. Even in Malaysia, there is a World Tamil Relief Fund organization which indirectly supports the LTTE, in terms of helping the poor Tamils in Sri Lanka and all that. Even to their functions I do not attended. I want to focus on the local Indian problems in Malaysia. I think that the local Indians need more help than the Sri Lankans and the Tigers. Of course we never had any dealings with the Tigers at all.

The terrorism charge does stand, because the 5 top leaders of HINDRAF are all practicing lawyers. And we have always pursued a legal and peaceful struggle.

Asian Tribune: Who are the office bearers of Hindraf?

P. Uthyakumar: Including me there are five in all. P. Vethamuthy, he has finished his overseas lobbying trip to India. He was in Chennai and then he was in New Delhi for our cause and at present in London and expected to be in Geneva, New York and Washington for international lobbying.

Asian Tribune: Who are the other office bearers?

P. Uthyakumar: There is another lawyer called M.Manoharan, then comes R. Gangatharan and V. Ganapathy Rao. All five including me are practicing lawyers.

Asian Tribune : How many Hindu temples do you have in Malaysia?

P. Uthyakumar: I think we have 20 over thousand temples in Malaysia; most of them are very small temples, which basically serve the poor man, the men on the street.

Asian Tribune: 20 000 temples! What is the population of the Indian Tamils in Malaysia?

P. Uthyakumar: About 2 million out of total population of 26 million Malaysian and we have 6 Indian MPs out of 219 elected members of Dewan Rakyat - Parliament and 6 MPs represent Malaysian Indian congress political party, led by Sami Velu. These Indian MPs are basically powerless this is just for the show to reflect the multi-racism for Malaysia. Hindus are about 95 percent of the 2 millions.

Asian Tribune: Do you have any idea in participating in the next election and resist them or oppose them?

P. Uthyakumar: No. We are not politically inclined we are a NGO We are not politically motivated and we are working for minority right.

- Asian Tribune -

Also Read:

Police report by P. Uthayakumar 8-12-07 (against Prime Minister, Law Minister, Attorney General, Inspector General of Police.

Sat, 12/08/2007 - 15:27 — admin

Police Report by myself P Uthayakumar against (1) Malaysian Prime Minister Badawi and UMNO Leaders (2) Law Minister Nazri, (3) Attorney General Gani Patail, (4) Inspector General of Police Musa Hassan and (5) the UMNO controlled print and electronic media namely The News Strait Times, The Star, Malay Mail, Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian, TV3, RTM 1 and 2, NTV 7 and Astro etc for making false, malicious, seditious, criminally defamatory, racially inciting and inflammatory statements and/or publishing and/or broadcasting and/or causing to be published and/or broadcasted and/or causing the same to be broadcasted that Hindraf has links with LTTE, terrorist groups and supports violence.

Over the last three (3) weeks the UMNO controlled Malaysian Government and authorities have been going on a smear campaign and/or Hindraf bashing sessions using their aforesaid print and electronic media and on a headlines basis almost every day.

The statements published and/or broadcasted and/or caused to be published and/or broadcasted that I and/or the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) have links with terrorist organizations, and/or supports violence, Nazri’s statement that “this was from statements of Hindraf leaders who went overseas to garner support that they would meet LTTE leaders” (“Links with Tamil Tigers and India’s RSS, says Nazri,” The Star 8-12-2007 page N10) and Gani Patail’s statement that “The AG had on Wednesday told the court that he had reports Hindraf members had connections with the LTTE” (“Hindraf has links with Tigers” (New Straits Times 8-12-2007 Page 6 (based on an alleged police report lodged by a member of the public which I now say is a false police report. Please investigate and let me know within 48 hours from the date and time herein) is false, malicious, seditious, criminally defamatory racially inciting and inflammatory.

This is a desperate attempt by UMNO and the Malaysian authorities to sidetrack and/or divert from the real issues Hindraf is championing that is the racism, marginalisation and permanent colonialisation of the ethnic minority Indians in Malaysia by the UMNO controlled Malaysian government for the past 50 years. This is especially so after 25-11-2007 whereafter Hindraf enjoys the support of at least 95% of the 2 million Indians in Malaysia and also has the support and sympathy of foreign governments, NGOs and the media.

This latest statement is also to falsely and maliciously build up a case against me and Hindraf leaders to detain me and other Hindraf leaders without trial under the draconian Internal Security Act and/or other laws and deny me and the others bail and lock us up and punish us even before we are being found guilty in a Court of Law as was done to the 31 peaceful assemblers and hindu devotees praying at Batu Caves by the Shah Alam Sessions Court on 6th December 2007.

The above is also a political ploy as the Malaysian general elections are around the corner. Hindraf and their members are victimized persecuted, maliciously and racially prosecuted to show to especially the 60% malay muslim majority that the Indians have been punished for their alleged “demonstration” on 25-11-07.

The News Straits Times in particular on the 7th and 8th of December maliciously did not publish the whole truth ie “Waytha Moorthy’s brother Uthayakumar had also told The New Paper in Singapore that he could not rule our violence if the demands of the Indian community were not met “(New Straits Time dated 8-12-07 page 6)What was maliciously deliberately and intentionally not published was that I and Hindraf have always maintained that we are committed and that we would only persue our struggle through legal and peaceful means following Ghandi’s peaceful and non violent “ahiesma” struggle.

When asked by The New Paper reporter I expressed fears and concerns that the uneducated Indian masses who may not know of other avenues and having pushed to the wall may resort to violence which was more correctly reported in The Star on 7-12-07 but asserted once again that Hindraf on its part was committed to a legal and peaceful struggle. But this whole truth was never published by the New Straits Times.

I hereby challenge the Prime Minister, Law Minister, Attorney General and the Inspector General of Police to within 24 hours to produce to me, the local and foreign print and electronic media at a press conference the alleged hard evidence of Hindraf’s link to terrorism and violence failing which I and Hindraf shall presume that the alleged evidence does not exist.

I also challenge the aforesaid individuals to investigate and make public the real culprits who attacked and killed the 5 Indians and injured 100 over others in the Kg Medan racial attacks tragedy from 8-3-01 to 22-3-01.

Also investigate the 1,000 over police reports against the various UMNO leaders and Malaysian authorities for the shoot to kill of hundreds of suspects and the mysterious deaths of hundreds in police custody (60% estimated to be Indians who only from 8% of the population) and hundreds of Indian “suspects unlawfully arrested, detained, beaten-up and tortured, hundreds of hindu temples demolished at the rate of one hindu temple in every three weeks and scores of hindu temples forced to relocate next to sewerage tanks.

Kindly also investigate the truth of my 1,000 over letters, memorandums, appeals protest notes scores of Civil Suits etc to the Prime Minister Ministers, Attorney General, Inspector General of Police, Chief Ministers and the other Malaysian authorities about the racism, marginalization and permanent colonialism of the Indians in Malaysia which only proves Hindraf’s track record of legal and peaceful struggle and Hindraf being no where near terrorism and/or violence. (Published in www.policewatchmalaysia.com)

I fear for me and my family’s safety and ask for 24 hours police protection.

- Asian Tribune -