Malaysian police break up Hindraf rally

KUALA LUMPUR: Defying a ban, at least 200 ethnic Indian supporters of a Hindu rights group on Saturday held a rally near Malaysia's Parliament demanding more rights for the minority community, prompting police to fire tear gas and chemical-laced water to disperse the demonstrators.

Police said it detained at least 20 supporters of the non-governmental Hindu Rights Force (Hindraf) which organized the 'illegal' rally, days after announcing plans that its members would march to the Parliament house along with a group of children led by the organisation's chief Wayathamoorthy's five-year-old daughter Vvaishnnavi.

Hindraf member and lawyer N Surendran, however, claimed that at least 60 people, including two leaders of the organisation, have been detained in a police crackdown since late last night.

Police had denied a permit to Hindraf to hold the rally outside Parliament and had set up barricades along main roads leading to the building.

Notwithstanding the ban, some 200 people managed to gather at a nearby building shouting 'Long Live Hindraf' and 'We want our rights.' Police sprayed chemical-laced water and tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Vvaishnnavi wanted to present roses to Premier Abdullah Badawi and had last month written a letter to him urging him to be present at the Parliament house to receive the Valentine flowers from her and other children.

The letter also contained an appeal to release Vvaishnnavi's 'five uncles', members of Hindraf who were detained under the Internal Security Act after they organized a massive rally of over 20,000 Indians against the alleged marginalisation of the community on November 25 last year. Hindraf hit headlines across the world after organising that rally.

Saturday's rally came ahead of general elections on March 8, a year ahead of schedule.

The government has denied allegations of marginalization of Indians. However, the November 25 rally took it by total surprise and since then the government leaders have been busy wooing ethnic Indians and promising to seriously look into their woes.

Ethnic Indians were brought here by the British nearly 200 years ago as indentured labourers and many of them stayed back in this country even after India attained independence.

Indians form 7.8 per cent of the country's total population of 27 million and are mostly Hindus with origin from Tamil Nadu. The Muslim Malays form 60 per cent of the population while the Chinese, who account for 25 per cent, are Buddhists or Christians. Malaysia allows the practice of all regions.