Nationwide swoop on Hindraf supporters
By K Pragalath and Humayun Kabir, Free Malaysia Today
PETALING JAYA: The police embarked on a nationwide crackdown against Hindraf-Makkal Sakthi members who were participating in People’s March for Solidarity against Umno/BN.
FMT learnt that more than 70 Hindraf supporters had been arrested, including nine women and four schoolchildren.
The march – in the form of car convoys – started today in various states, each convoy ending in another destination in the respective states.
In Kuala Lumpur, the car convoy started at Brickfields this afternoon while in Selangor, it kicked off at Rawang at 9.30am. Similar convoys left their destinations in Johor, Negeri Sembilan, Perak, Kedah and Penang.
The police however were quick to swoop in the arrest those participating in these convoys, claiming that these people were taking part in illegal assembly. Some were arrested for obstructing the police from carrying out their duties.
The first group to be arrested were those involved in Perak. About six Hindraf members were arrested in Jelapang after leaving Buntong.
At about the same time, the Selangor police arrested about five Hindraf members, including Human Rights Party’s information chief S Jayathas at Rawang. They were taken to the Gombak police station for questioning.
Several other members of the Selangor convoy were also diverted to the Gombak police station. The remaining cars in the convoy had made their way to the Batu Caves temple where the Hindraf members are distributing leaflets for a massive rally planned at the KLCC on Feb 27.
In Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, the police arrested about 20 Hindraf supporters and had taken them to the Jalan Travers police station while 15 others were arrested in Seremban. Some Hindraf supporters were also arrested from the HRP headquarters in Bangsar.
In both Kedah and Johor, the car convoys were tailed by the police but so far no arrests have been made in these two states.
Feb 27 rally will proceed
HRP’s pro tem secretary general P Uthayakumar when contacted said: “Our lawyers have gone to the various police stations to bail out our supporters.”
