04-12-2009, 10:56 PM
HINDU VIGIL
POLITICAL PRISONER SERVED BEEF AGAINST HIS RELIGIOUS BELIEF
RECORDED INCIDENT
Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) leader P. Uthayakumar (in the picture)
has lodged a police report against Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar for
ignoring Hindu sensitivities after allegedly being served beef at the
Kamunting Detention Camp where he is being held.
In the report made last Wednesday, he accused Syed Hamid of lying in
saying that HINDRAF leaders, being Hindus, are not served dishes
containing beef in deference to their religion.
The minister had made the statement to rubbish previous claims by
Uthayakumar that the camp authorities had insulted Hindus by allegedly
serving dishes with beef.
Uthayakumar alleged that, despite the minister's statement, he had found
pieces of beef in the chicken sambal served for lunch on March 22.
"I was served chicken sambal with rice. I (saw) what looked like beef
pieces in the chicken sambal", he said in the report.
"When I checked with detainees working in the kitchen, they confirmed that
the beef sambal and chicken sambal were cooked in the same pot. (The
chicken was) dished out and put on separate tray and served to me", he
said in the report.
He also claimed that the authorities have yet to serve him meals
appropriate for a diabetic, despite knowing about his health condition.
Uthayakumar said he will now eat only bread and will not touch any food
cooked in the camp kitchen, in protest of the violation of my religious
rights as a Hindu and of his constitutional rights.
CASE ASSESSMENT
Hindus constitute around 7.1% of population of Malaysia. As a minority
group Hindus face different kinds of discriminations in the predominantly
Muslim country. The government of Malaysia had been pursuing an unofficial
policy of temple demolitions on one pretext or the other. The official
reason given by the Malaysian government has been that the temples were
built "illegally." However, several of the temples were centuries old and
predated many mosques which do not receive the same treatment. On October
30, 2007 the 100- year-old Maha Mariamman Temple in Padang Jawa was
demolished by Malaysian authorities. Following this Hindu organization
under an umbrella coalition HINDRAF organized protests bringing the issue
to the notice of the international community. The Malaysian government has
since then resoted on persecution of Hindu leaders under the guise of
various discriminatory laws. Shri Uthayakumar is one of five HINDRAF
leaders who have been detained under the Internal Security Act since late
December 2007.
SOURCE OF INFORMATION
http://national-express-malaysia.blogspot....th-his-chicken-
sambal.html
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
A. Write a letter to the Prime Minister of Malaysia bringing the issues to
his notice and demanding immediate action:
1. Mohd. Najib Abdul Razak
Prime Minister of Malaysia
Prime Minister's Office,
Main Block, Perdana Putra Building,
Federal Government Administration Centre,
62502 Putrajaya, MALAYSIA
2. Call on Tel: 603-8888 8000 (Prime Minister Office) and register your
protest/complaint politely and patiently.
3. Fax your protest/complaint on: 603-8888 3443 (Prime Minister Office)
4. Send email to PM Mohd. Najib Abdul Razak on: ppm@pmo.gov.my
5. Register your protest/complaint to PM Mohd. Najib Abdul Razak on the
link given below: <
http://www3.pmo.gov.my/emaklum/PMFeedback....v1?openform> Register
yourself as per the guidelines and then send your protest/complaint.
B. Write your complaint/protest to Human Rights Commission of Malaysia
(SUHAKAM) on the following address:
1. SUHAKAM,
Tingkat 29, Menara Tun Razak,
Jalan Raja Laut, 50350
Kuala Lumpur
2. Call on: 603-2612 5600
3. Fax : 603-2612 5620
4. Email : humanrights@suhakam.org.my
5. Explore the website for further informations: < http://www.suhakam.org.my/>
C. Send a copy of your letter to the UNHRC bringing raising the issue at
international forum:
Postal address:
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
D. You may send register your protest at the following number:
Telephone: +41 22 917 9000
Also E-mail your queries in this regards to: InfoDesk@ohchr.org
SAMPLE LETTER
(Please do NOT use the sample letter verbatim)
The Right Honorable Prime Minister Razak,
I have learnt from media reports that political activist Mr. P.
Uthayakumar who is undergoing incarceration under the charges of
"sedition" in your country has been served beef for his meals. You must be
aware that Hindus revere the cow as mother, and a majority of them will
not go near beef, let alone consume it. Hindus have held this belief since
the time immemorial and is part and parcel of their faith, culture and
civilization. Just as feeding pork to a Muslim against his will is
violating his religious rights, which you must understand as a Muslim,
force-feeding beef to a Hindu is equally reprehensible and condemnable.
I request your honorable self to look into this matter immediately, and
kindly pass an executive order to stop this pernicious practice. Kindly
inform me as to what steps you have taken to ensure that the Hindu
prisoners are not harassed and their religious rights violated. I can be
reached via e-mail at _______________, and/or via phone at
_________________ .
Thanking you.
Sincerely yours,
__________________
POLITICAL PRISONER SERVED BEEF AGAINST HIS RELIGIOUS BELIEF
RECORDED INCIDENT
Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) leader P. Uthayakumar (in the picture)
has lodged a police report against Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar for
ignoring Hindu sensitivities after allegedly being served beef at the
Kamunting Detention Camp where he is being held.
In the report made last Wednesday, he accused Syed Hamid of lying in
saying that HINDRAF leaders, being Hindus, are not served dishes
containing beef in deference to their religion.
The minister had made the statement to rubbish previous claims by
Uthayakumar that the camp authorities had insulted Hindus by allegedly
serving dishes with beef.
Uthayakumar alleged that, despite the minister's statement, he had found
pieces of beef in the chicken sambal served for lunch on March 22.
"I was served chicken sambal with rice. I (saw) what looked like beef
pieces in the chicken sambal", he said in the report.
"When I checked with detainees working in the kitchen, they confirmed that
the beef sambal and chicken sambal were cooked in the same pot. (The
chicken was) dished out and put on separate tray and served to me", he
said in the report.
He also claimed that the authorities have yet to serve him meals
appropriate for a diabetic, despite knowing about his health condition.
Uthayakumar said he will now eat only bread and will not touch any food
cooked in the camp kitchen, in protest of the violation of my religious
rights as a Hindu and of his constitutional rights.
CASE ASSESSMENT
Hindus constitute around 7.1% of population of Malaysia. As a minority
group Hindus face different kinds of discriminations in the predominantly
Muslim country. The government of Malaysia had been pursuing an unofficial
policy of temple demolitions on one pretext or the other. The official
reason given by the Malaysian government has been that the temples were
built "illegally." However, several of the temples were centuries old and
predated many mosques which do not receive the same treatment. On October
30, 2007 the 100- year-old Maha Mariamman Temple in Padang Jawa was
demolished by Malaysian authorities. Following this Hindu organization
under an umbrella coalition HINDRAF organized protests bringing the issue
to the notice of the international community. The Malaysian government has
since then resoted on persecution of Hindu leaders under the guise of
various discriminatory laws. Shri Uthayakumar is one of five HINDRAF
leaders who have been detained under the Internal Security Act since late
December 2007.
SOURCE OF INFORMATION
http://national-express-malaysia.blogspot....th-his-chicken-
sambal.html
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
A. Write a letter to the Prime Minister of Malaysia bringing the issues to
his notice and demanding immediate action:
1. Mohd. Najib Abdul Razak
Prime Minister of Malaysia
Prime Minister's Office,
Main Block, Perdana Putra Building,
Federal Government Administration Centre,
62502 Putrajaya, MALAYSIA
2. Call on Tel: 603-8888 8000 (Prime Minister Office) and register your
protest/complaint politely and patiently.
3. Fax your protest/complaint on: 603-8888 3443 (Prime Minister Office)
4. Send email to PM Mohd. Najib Abdul Razak on: ppm@pmo.gov.my
5. Register your protest/complaint to PM Mohd. Najib Abdul Razak on the
link given below: <
http://www3.pmo.gov.my/emaklum/PMFeedback....v1?openform> Register
yourself as per the guidelines and then send your protest/complaint.
B. Write your complaint/protest to Human Rights Commission of Malaysia
(SUHAKAM) on the following address:
1. SUHAKAM,
Tingkat 29, Menara Tun Razak,
Jalan Raja Laut, 50350
Kuala Lumpur
2. Call on: 603-2612 5600
3. Fax : 603-2612 5620
4. Email : humanrights@suhakam.org.my
5. Explore the website for further informations: < http://www.suhakam.org.my/>
C. Send a copy of your letter to the UNHRC bringing raising the issue at
international forum:
Postal address:
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
D. You may send register your protest at the following number:
Telephone: +41 22 917 9000
Also E-mail your queries in this regards to: InfoDesk@ohchr.org
SAMPLE LETTER
(Please do NOT use the sample letter verbatim)
The Right Honorable Prime Minister Razak,
I have learnt from media reports that political activist Mr. P.
Uthayakumar who is undergoing incarceration under the charges of
"sedition" in your country has been served beef for his meals. You must be
aware that Hindus revere the cow as mother, and a majority of them will
not go near beef, let alone consume it. Hindus have held this belief since
the time immemorial and is part and parcel of their faith, culture and
civilization. Just as feeding pork to a Muslim against his will is
violating his religious rights, which you must understand as a Muslim,
force-feeding beef to a Hindu is equally reprehensible and condemnable.
I request your honorable self to look into this matter immediately, and
kindly pass an executive order to stop this pernicious practice. Kindly
inform me as to what steps you have taken to ensure that the Hindu
prisoners are not harassed and their religious rights violated. I can be
reached via e-mail at _______________, and/or via phone at
_________________ .
Thanking you.
Sincerely yours,
__________________