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Hindraf yet to decide on action

SINGAPORE: Malaysia’s action of arresting on Thursday five leaders and activists of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) — the group’s main leader P. Uthayakumar, V. Ganapati Rao (also spelt as Ganabatirau), M. Manoharan, R. Gengadharan, and P. Vasanthakumar (whose name is also spelt as Vasanthan) — under the Internal Security Act (ISA) has left in doubt whether the sabotage cases against some Hindraf leaders will not be pressed.

Supporters of the leaders gathered outside the police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur as soon as the news spread that the five were detained at different locations and sent to the same detention camp.

A Hindraf official, when contacted over the telephone, told The Hindu that the group had not yet decided on its course of action.

The official emphasised that no details of the charges were communicated to the group.

Hindraf later issued an unsigned appeal to its supporters to “remain calm.” They were asked “not to listen to any rumours or untruth that may be spread to break our unity.”

Hindraf, which staged a mass rally in Kuala Lumpur on November 25 to focus international attention on the alleged “marginalisation” of Malaysia’s ethnic Indian minority, was warned of detentions under the ISA before Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi invoked the law.

Mr. Uthayakumar had, shortly before his arrest under the ISA, put out a message regarding the detention of Mr. Gengadharan on unspecified charges.

Mr. Uthayakumar had also, in an interview to The Hindu several days ago, denied any links between Hindraf and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

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