Let UMNO and it's Pariah Police go to Hell. We must ensure every bastards end up in HELL....
The police resume their action against Hindraf with the arrest of its leaders and activists at a forum on Interlok.
LUNAS: The police’s clampdown on Hindraf Makkal Sakti’s anti-Interlok campaign continues with the arrest of eight leaders and activists at a forum here this morning.
Among the eight were Human Rights Party president W Sambulingam, Kedah HRP chief R Ramu and his deputy chief P Muniandy and R Ramu.
Other detained activists were MS Maniam, S Dass, D Raja and CF Mani.
Hindraf adviser N Ganesan said he learned that his detained colleagues were “handcuffed, chained and locked up” at the Kulim district police headquarters.
He said Sambulingam was addressing some 100 people at Dewan Kattu Raja at 11.30am when a group of police officers entered and told the Hindraf leader to stop speaking.
Police gave Sambulingam and the others about 10 minutes to disperse from the place. The activists were arrested when they defied the order.
HRP secretary-general P Uthayakumar said he expected more Hindraf and HRP leaders and activists to be arrested in two separate public forums in Penang today on the controversial Interlok novel.
He told FMT that police were threatening Hindraf activists with seven days in detention and requesting for their saffron-coloured shirts.
“However, they did not give their shirts. They told the police that our saffron shirt is sacred,” he said.
One forum is being organised at a community hall in Block E of Bandar Baru Air Itam on the island at 2.30pm while another is scheduled at 6pm at the Meenakshi Aman Kovil in Simpang Ampat, mainland Seberang Perai.
Police notice
Police have already put up blockades and booths along roads within the vicinity leading to the forum hall. A police notice has been pasted outside the hall warning the people not to attend the forum.
The notice stated that the forum was illegal since it was being held without a valid police permit. Police warned that those attending the forum would be considered as breaching the order and would be detained.
Ganesan, however, said that a police permit was not needed for an indoor forum for the people.
“But we have been told not hold the forum and leave the area,” he said.
Ganesan said the forums in Penang would go on as scheduled as a sign of defiance against the police’s encroachment into constitutional rights.
“Under Article 10 of the Federal Constitution, Malaysian citizens have every right to assemble,” he added.
Ganesan was curious why the authorities were so opposed to the anti-Interlok campaign.
“We are actually helping the government… the Umno government to eliminate racism in the country.
“I don’t understand why the government and police are not assisting us,” he told FMT.
Massive barricade
However, unlike in Lunas, the police did not barge into the community hall or arrest any Hindraf leaders and activists at Bandar Baru Air Itam.
But they managed to stop the forum within minutes of its commencement.
Ganesan got the ball rolling by addressing a few people who defied the police order to attend the forum.
While he was speaking, a group of policemen led by a commander known only as ASP Jamaluddin entered the hall and stopped Ganesan from speaking.
They gave Ganesan and others 10 minutes to disperse to avoid arrest. Ganesan and the rest obeyed and ended the forum.
They then left, but not without loud chants of “Hindraf, Hindraf, Hindraf”.
Using a loud hailer, Jamaluddin also ordered all journalists and cameramen to leave the area immediately.
Earlier, the police formed a massive barricade to prevent anyone from entering the hall.
About two hours before the forum started, some police officers have also allegedly intimidated HRP/Hindraf activists to get them to cancel their plans.
Earlier, in his address, Ganesan told the attendees that Interlok had projected the Indians in an undignified and distorted manner.
He said that the novel was reinforcing the stereotyped portrayal of Indians in the country as “dark, oily and scraggy community of low life”.
“Interlok must not be seen as an isolated case. It’s part of Umno government’s racist agenda to demean and degrade the Indian poor.
“The racist perpetrators want to ensure that the Indian poor will forever remain oppressed, suppressed and subservient to the Umno regime,” said Ganesan.
He also attributed the low turnout to the heavy police presence since morning.
“It’s a serious violation of human rights. Why must the police stop us from speaking to a small crowd in a peaceful manner?
“It’s a high-handed tactics of Umno regime to instil fear into us and the Indian poor.”
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