The Hindu : Front Page : Hindraf leaders face sedition trial

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Tuesday, Dec 11, 2007
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Hindraf leaders face sedition trial

P. S. Suryanarayana

Crackdown on Opposition politicians, lawyers campaigning for human rights

SINGAPORE: A Malaysian High Court on Monday ordered trial of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leaders on sedition charges, amid an official crackdown on Opposition politicians and lawyers campaigning for human rights.

In a political punch-line, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said: “If the choice is between public safety and public freedom, I do not hesitate to say here [at a forum in Putrajaya] that public safety will always win.”

Elaborating on the remark, Mr. Badawi said: “If we are to evolve into a society that can peacefully live with media freedom, public debates, or public show of expression, the value and the burden of responsibility must lie with the ordinary people, not just with those who manage the country.”

Hinting that the Hindraf was seeking to destabilise Malaysia, Mr. Badawi said: “If voters are easily persuaded by people playing the racial card, then we are heading for disaster.”

“Who are they?”

In a stinging rebuke of Hindraf leadership, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said: “We don’t have to dance to Hindraf’s tune? … Who are they? They don’t represent the Indian Malaysian community. If they go against the law, we will definitely take action. In fact, we have already started taking action.”

Nazri Abdul Aziz, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, expressed appreciation for what Malaysia saw as New Delhi’s stand of not extending support to the Hindraf campaign against the alleged “marginalisation” of ethnic Indians.

M. Manoharan, counsel for Hindraf in the sedition case, told The Hindu over telephone from Kuala Lumpur that Judge Abang Iskandar of the High Court at Shah Alam overturned a Sessions Court’s “discharge” of three leaders of the group. Citing the absence of a clear charge, the lower court had ordered the “discharge” of P. Uthayakumar, P. Waytha Moorty, and V. Ganapati Rao.

They were accused of making seditious remarks at a restaurant on November 16. But the absence of a transcript of those remarks was also cited for the “discharge” of these Hindraf leaders.

According to Mr. Manoharan, the Hindraf leaders were now petitioning the Court of Appeal at Putrajaya to annul the High Court’s order.

The lawyers and other activists, who were arrested for taking part in Sunday’s multi-racial march in Kuala Lumpur, an event designed to campaign for human rights, were produced in the court on Monday.

They were detained for organising or participating in a rally that was declared illegal.

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