December
8, 2007
Hindraf Faces Ban:
Has 'Links with India's RSS, Lanka's LTTE'
Kuala Lumpur
The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), a Malaysian rights group,
has "links" with India's "militant organisation" Rashtriya
Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) and Sri Lanka's Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam (LTTE), a Malaysian minister has alleged.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohamed Nazri Aziz said
"the groups are Sri Lanka's LTTE and the RSS, a militant
organisation in India", The Star newspaper said Saturday.
Nazri said this was from statements of Hindraf leaders "who went
overseas to garner support that they would meet LTTE leaders".
The supposed links with the LTTE, declared a terrorist group in the
US, Britain,India and other countries, could lead to a ban on
Hindraf, which spearheaded a massive protest by ethnic Indians last
Sunday, a media report said Saturday quoting Attorney General (AG)
Abdul Gani Patail.
However, Hindraf leader P. Uthayakumar has denied that his
organization has established any contact with the LTTE and has
termed the government charge "baseless" and part of a campaign.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Friday asked the country's
police chief Musa Hasan to "keep a watch" on Hindraf, a group
claiming to represent Indian immigrants, whose 10,000-strong protest
rally on Nov 25 was declared illegal.
Badawi said should their action threaten national security, the
Internal Security Act (ISA) could be used. He said he was aware of
Hindraf canvassing for support and help from terrorist groups and
local gangsters.
"I was informed. My instructions to the police is that the group
should be monitored. ISA is an option. I will decide when the time
is right. If they are deemed (as a threat to national security) we
will know what to do."
The police had started their investigation following a report lodged
by a member of the public, Patail said outside the Shah Alam High
Court here Friday.
"The danger is that this group (LTTE) has been officially declared a
terrorist organisation," The New Straits Times newspaper quoted him
as saying.
"I think everybody in the world will be worried about such
connection," Patail said, adding that he would wait for the police
to complete their investigation before deciding on the next course
of action.
"Links To Terrorists", The Sun newspaper said in its front-page
report Saturday.
Hindraf claims to speak for the Indian community that roughly forms
eight percent of Malaysia's 27 million population, that also has a
large Chinese component. Its claim is contested by other Indian
organizations.
Thirtyone persons, denied bail, are being prosecuted in a court for
their participation in the Nov 25 rally.
The prosecution has cited interviews given by Uthayakumar and his
brother P. Waytha Murthy, to newspapers in Singapore and India.
Murthy is currently in India trying to garner support among
political leaders.
Meanwhile, the high court adjourned to Monday a criminal revision
application made by the public prosecutor following a discharge
given to Uthayakumar, Waytha Moorthy and T. Ganabathirau for
allegedly making seditious remarks in public.
Judicial commissioner Hashim said he was allowing the application
only on grounds that the counsel representing the three needed more
time to prepare its submission.
"I am only allowing the adjournment because one of the counsel had
raised an important legal issue of whether a discharge not amounting
to an acquittal by a lower court could be reviewed by a high court,"
Hashim said.
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