11-26-2007, 09:34 AM
<span style='color:red'>Action Alert -- Malaysia Update</span>
Malaysian authorities have banned the Hindu protest march scheduled for Sunday, November 25, 2007 in Kuala Lumpur and organized by the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF; http://policewatchmalaysia.com/). They also arrested HINDRAF's top leaders and charged them with sedition. The protest march is in the context of Hindu temple destruction in Malaysia and the assault on minority human rights in the Islamic Republic of Malaysia. <b>Please call the Malaysian Embassy in Washington DC to register your protest, or fax or email the letter below to the Malaysian Prime Minister. </b> The contact details are included below.
For HAF's recent press release on this, visit http://www.hafsite.org/media_press_release...sia_temples.htm .
For HAF's 2006 annual human rights report entitles, "Hindus in South Asia and the Diaspora: A Survey of Human Rights 2006", visit http://www.hafsite.org/reports.htm.
Sincerely,
Dr. Mihir Meghani
President, Hindu American Foundation
November 24, 2007
H.E. Dato' Ghazzali bin Sheikh Abdul Khalid
Embassy of Malaysia
3516 International Court, N.W.
Washington, DC. 20008
United States of America
Embassy Telephone: (202) 572-9700, Fax: (202) 572-9882, and E-mail: malwash@kln.gov.my
Prime Minister Fax 603-88883444 and Emails: ppm@pmo.gov.my, abdullah@kdn.gov.my
Your Excellency Dato' Ghazzali bin Sheikh Abdul Khalid:
I write to protest the destruction of Hindu temples by Malaysian state government officials, and your government's refusal to allow Hindus to protest such temple destruction. These actions by your government targeting the minority Hindu community are an unfortunate reminder to the world of the serious threat to human rights of minorities in Malaysia.
Some of the Hindu/Indian leaders who were spearheading the effort to protest government action have been arrested on the grounds of sedition. Reuters reports that "Malaysian police swooped on Friday (November 23) on organizers of a planned protest by minority ethnic Indians, arresting them for sedition and warning of racial strife if the rally went ahead as planned at the weekend" (http://tinyurl.com/2oan9y). Hindu Americans take strong exception to such provocative police action and deem it an assault on the human rights of minorities in Malaysia.
We urge you to allow the gathering of Malaysian Hindus on November 25, 2007 to submit a petition to the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. The petition refers to the class action lawsuit filed by the Malaysian Indian community against the Government of the United Kingdom for its failure to protect the minority Indian community's rights when it drafted the Constitution of Malaysia 50 years ago.
Unfortunately, your government restricts Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association contrary to Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and Article 10 of the Malaysian Federal Constitution. Consequently, the application filed by Malaysian Indians to hold gatherings was arbitrarily rejected by the police.
Your government has also tried to suppress a campaign launched by a Non-Governmental Organization, the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) to obtain 100,000 signatures in support of a civil suit against the Government of the United Kingdom. HINDRAF has accused your officials of intimidating and instilling fear in the Indian community. The intimidating tactics of your officials include the following:
a) Threat of arrest under the draconian Internal Security Act.
b) Threat to demolish temples (if gatherings are held in the temples).
c) Threat of arrest and criminal prosecution of venue owners for aiding in holding events.
d) Sealing of temples and all access roads leading to the temples.
e) Placing hundreds of riot police fully armed near the temple premises, etc.
We urge you to pay heed to the urgent calls of the Hindu minority community. Temple destruction should be stopped forthwith, and a high-level committee should be set up to systematically deal with issues relating to land on which temples stand, and to the rights of Hindus to worship at their temples. The public protest by Malaysian Hindus on Sunday, November 25, 2007 should not be thwarted.
Finally, we urge you to drop sedition charges against the HINDRAF leaders and release Mr. Waytha Moorthy from prison immediately.
Sincerely,
Member, Hindu American Foundation
http://www.hafsite.org
http://www.hafsite.org/media_press_release...sia_temples.htm
Malaysian authorities have banned the Hindu protest march scheduled for Sunday, November 25, 2007 in Kuala Lumpur and organized by the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF; http://policewatchmalaysia.com/). They also arrested HINDRAF's top leaders and charged them with sedition. The protest march is in the context of Hindu temple destruction in Malaysia and the assault on minority human rights in the Islamic Republic of Malaysia. <b>Please call the Malaysian Embassy in Washington DC to register your protest, or fax or email the letter below to the Malaysian Prime Minister. </b> The contact details are included below.
For HAF's recent press release on this, visit http://www.hafsite.org/media_press_release...sia_temples.htm .
For HAF's 2006 annual human rights report entitles, "Hindus in South Asia and the Diaspora: A Survey of Human Rights 2006", visit http://www.hafsite.org/reports.htm.
Sincerely,
Dr. Mihir Meghani
President, Hindu American Foundation
November 24, 2007
H.E. Dato' Ghazzali bin Sheikh Abdul Khalid
Embassy of Malaysia
3516 International Court, N.W.
Washington, DC. 20008
United States of America
Embassy Telephone: (202) 572-9700, Fax: (202) 572-9882, and E-mail: malwash@kln.gov.my
Prime Minister Fax 603-88883444 and Emails: ppm@pmo.gov.my, abdullah@kdn.gov.my
Your Excellency Dato' Ghazzali bin Sheikh Abdul Khalid:
I write to protest the destruction of Hindu temples by Malaysian state government officials, and your government's refusal to allow Hindus to protest such temple destruction. These actions by your government targeting the minority Hindu community are an unfortunate reminder to the world of the serious threat to human rights of minorities in Malaysia.
Some of the Hindu/Indian leaders who were spearheading the effort to protest government action have been arrested on the grounds of sedition. Reuters reports that "Malaysian police swooped on Friday (November 23) on organizers of a planned protest by minority ethnic Indians, arresting them for sedition and warning of racial strife if the rally went ahead as planned at the weekend" (http://tinyurl.com/2oan9y). Hindu Americans take strong exception to such provocative police action and deem it an assault on the human rights of minorities in Malaysia.
We urge you to allow the gathering of Malaysian Hindus on November 25, 2007 to submit a petition to the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. The petition refers to the class action lawsuit filed by the Malaysian Indian community against the Government of the United Kingdom for its failure to protect the minority Indian community's rights when it drafted the Constitution of Malaysia 50 years ago.
Unfortunately, your government restricts Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association contrary to Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and Article 10 of the Malaysian Federal Constitution. Consequently, the application filed by Malaysian Indians to hold gatherings was arbitrarily rejected by the police.
Your government has also tried to suppress a campaign launched by a Non-Governmental Organization, the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) to obtain 100,000 signatures in support of a civil suit against the Government of the United Kingdom. HINDRAF has accused your officials of intimidating and instilling fear in the Indian community. The intimidating tactics of your officials include the following:
a) Threat of arrest under the draconian Internal Security Act.
b) Threat to demolish temples (if gatherings are held in the temples).
c) Threat of arrest and criminal prosecution of venue owners for aiding in holding events.
d) Sealing of temples and all access roads leading to the temples.
e) Placing hundreds of riot police fully armed near the temple premises, etc.
We urge you to pay heed to the urgent calls of the Hindu minority community. Temple destruction should be stopped forthwith, and a high-level committee should be set up to systematically deal with issues relating to land on which temples stand, and to the rights of Hindus to worship at their temples. The public protest by Malaysian Hindus on Sunday, November 25, 2007 should not be thwarted.
Finally, we urge you to drop sedition charges against the HINDRAF leaders and release Mr. Waytha Moorthy from prison immediately.
Sincerely,
Member, Hindu American Foundation
http://www.hafsite.org
http://www.hafsite.org/media_press_release...sia_temples.htm