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Press Statement

by Lim Guan Eng

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(Petaling Jaya, Saturday): DAP declares full support for the proposed rally called by Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) tomorrow to present a petition to the British High Commission on grievances by the Indian community relating to their marginalization, neglect, discrimination and victimization by the BN government. This follows the arrest and charge under the Sedition Act of three lawyers’ leaders of Hindraf, P. Uthayakumar, 46, his brother P. Waytha Moorthy, 41, and V. Ganabatirau, 34, for inciting a crowd through speeches in Tamil at a restaurant in Batang Berjuntai on November 16. Why were they charged when they refused to call off the rally and not earlier?

Clearly these charges are filed against the three lawyers solely to frighten, intimidate and prevent them from carrying out their petition to the British High Commission. DAP demands that the Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail resign for abusing his powers in charging three lawyer leaders of Hindraf for sedition solely to prevent them from sending a petition to the British High Commission on grievances by the Indian community relating to their neglect, marginalization, discrimination and victimization of the BN government

Those who are able to attend should do so as a sign of protest against such selective persecution by the Attorney-General and the BN government. DAP leaders who are present tomorrow are doing so in their own individual capacity as this rally is not organized by the DAP. I will not be able to be present as I have to attend the DAP Melaka General Election Workshop tomorrow morning which was fixed two months earlier.

DAP believes that every person as a fundamental right of freedom of assembly in a peaceful manner. This basic human right is enshrined under the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in our original Merdeka Constitution in 1957. Hindraf leaders are only exercising their rights to assemble peacefully and had not made any threats to harm any one.

Hindraf has no record of threatening to harm any person unlike UMNO leaders who have threatened to kill or burn down the homes of non-Malays. DAP can not understand why the police and the Attorney-General practices such double-standards in refusing to prosecute UMNO leaders who threaten to kill and burn down the homes of non-Malays but take action against non-Malays who have never issued such threats.

DAP also express regrets at so-called community leaders from 25 leading Indian associations who have supported MIC’s call for tomorrow's Hindraf petition to the British High Commission to be cancelled because there are too many political, economic and social concerns at stake. DAP believes that like MIC, these 25 Indian leaders have lost touch with their own community and represent no one but themselves.

DAP also regrets that Malaysia Hindu Sangam has joined in this call against the proposed rally and such actions have shown that Malaysian Hindu Singam has lost the right to represent not only Hindus but the concept of freedom of religion. DAP expressed shock that Hindu Singam supports the very same government that are destroying and tearing down Hindu temples unlawfully in a barbaric manner.

How can Hindu Singam talk about freedom of religion when they do not believe in freedom of assembly which is part and parcel of fundamental human liberties? The next general elections will prove that the Indian community has rejected the BN and that it is organizations like MIC and Hindu Singam that blindly supports the BN government against the interests of their community.