Malaysiakini is difficult to access today, most likely due to heavy traffic.

They do have a secondary server at: http://www5.malaysiakini.com/ , which
may be less congested.

ywl
_________________________________________

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/75259

A Gandhi-inspired mass civil disobedience
Andrew Ong Nov 25, 07 5:38pm

Hindraf legal advisor P Uthayakumar, has declared the movement's rally today
"a success" despite not being able to hand a petition to the British High
Commission.

In addressing one of the last large group of Hindraf supporters to disperse
from the rally, Uthayakumar, who is Hindraf's most recognisable face, said
the Indians had succeeded in sending their message regardless of the status
of the petition.

"Despite the police attempts to torture us, we still manage to gather
peacefully as united Indians. We have succeeded, the police have failed," he
told a crowd of nearly 2,000 supporters who clap and cheered whenever he
finished a sentence.

Tear gas and chemical-laced water were fired on Hindraf supporters who
defied police orders to disperse from the banned rally for nearly six hours.

Crowds comprising of Indians from all over the country have gathered today
in support of a class-action suit against the British government for
bringing the Indians here as indentured labourers.

Many observers have noted that the petition part of a new movement aimed at
empowering the Indian community - the third largest yet among the poorest
ethnic groups in Malaysia - in giving a voice to their discontent.

Emulating Gandhi

Numerous Hindraf supporters wore saffron headband or T-shirts. Dozens more
were wearing a portrait of Indian independence activist and pacifist,
Mahatma Gandhi.

Like Gandhi, the Hindraf supporters were out to show mass civil disobedience
and it was prominently shown by a crowd of almost 5,000 near the Hotel Maya
at Jalan Ampang.

For at least five times, the crowd would run helter-skelter at each 'water
canon charge', only to defiantly claim back their original positions,
chanting "We want justice!" in both Tamil and English.

A Tamachelvy, from Klang, told Malaysiakini that she, along with her
60-year-old father, attended this rally after hearing about the spate of
Hindu temple demolitions.

"We felt very hurt after watching VCDs about how the government would
destroy our temples. We are Malaysians but our government treats us like
foreigners," she said.

Tamachelvy, like many other Hindraf supporters, said that the government ban
on the rally was unjust, as they have limited means to collectively voice
their grievances.

IGP: Police exercise restraint

Meanwhile, in some instances the police appeared to exercise their duties
with obvious signs of restraint, when compared to the many past brutal
crackdowns on public dissent.

At about 8am today, police issued repeated warnings to a group of roughly
2,000 Hindraf supporters who had gathered near Plaza Ampang along Jalan Tun
Razak, a stone's throw away from the British High Commission.

Each of these warnings went unheeded, resulting in the crowd being showered
twice with water.

But when a third warning was ignored as well, the police fired streams of
chemical-laced water at the protestors - many of them seated - before
sending in plainclothes police personnel to arrest several dozen Hindraf
supporters.

There were several reports of police personnel beating Hindraf supporters.

In addition, tear gas were liberally used by the police and often with prior
warning given.

However, inspector-general of police Musa Hassan told Al Jazeera in a live
telephone interview that the police had exercise restraint in controlling
the crowd.

"We were restraining ourselves not to use force. There was no body contact,"
said Musa, who was heavily rumoured to have overseen police operations in a
helicopter.

More than 400 detained

It is believed that the police - a Muslim-Malay majority outfit - had
intentionally restrained themselves to avoid turning the event into a racial
clash.

Unlike previous demonstrations, media personnel also expressed appreciation
over the police's directive specifically for the media to get out of harm's
way when they take action.

According to the Bar Council team of observers, police detained more than
400 people during the rally today.

Lawyer Edmund Bon told Malaysiakini that more than 400 people are being
detained at the Jalan Semarak police academy (Pulapol) while at estimated 69
others are detained at the Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters.

"(At about 3.30pm) they finally allowed us in at Pulapol to see the
detainees. The police have promised to feed the detainees and release all of
them this evening," he said.
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____

http://www5.malaysiakini.com/news/75256

Hindraf to submit petition in London
Nov 25, 07 7:44am [extract]

After six hours of confrontations in the streets of Kuala Lumpur today, the
police eventually allowed Hindu Rights Action Front (Hindraf) to submit the
petition but the offer was rejected.

P Uthayakumar, Hindraf's legal adviser, said the petition would be delivered
to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in London instead. The 2,000-strong crowd
outside the British High Commission then dispersed following pleas from
organisers.
[...]
____

http://elizabethwong.wordpress.com/2007/11/25/hindraf-rally-500-hundred-arrested\
/

Hindraf rally: 500 arrested
Posted by elizabethwong November 25, 2007

Remember PM Abdullah Badawi's fluffy feel-good line about wanting to hear
the truth?

This is what happens when one speaks truth to UMNO/BN.

VIDEO - http://www.youtube.com/v/m96FCTKHNA8
VIDEO - http://www.youtube.com/v/OlNIAF364YM

http://elizabethwong.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/hindraf_afp2.jpg
http://elizabethwong.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/hindraf_afp1.jpg
(Pics above, AFP)

Thus far, Gobalakrishnan, Member of KeADILan Supreme Council, is the first
to be remanded for 3 days. This was done at Ibu Pejabat Kontingen (IPK),
Kuala Lumpur this evening around six pm. More to be remanded.

There were close to a hundred detained at IPK earlier, but the bulk of the
protestors, numbering some 400, were held at PULAPOL (Pusat Latihan Polis)
Jalan Semarak.

http://elizabethwong.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/hindraf_injure1.jpg
http://elizabethwong.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/hindraf_injure2.jpg
http://elizabethwong.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/hindraf_injure3.jpg
http://elizabethwong.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/hindraf_5.jpg

Pics of two young men who were injured during the rally. They were released
from detention to seek hospital treatment.
_____

VIDEO - Cat and mouse around KLCC
http://www.malaysiakini.tv/?vid=1499

VIDEO - Sucking tear gas and laced-water
http://www.malaysiakini.tv/?vid=1497

VIDEO - Police accused of unprovoked attacks
http://www.malaysiakini.tv/?vid=1496

VIDEO - Hindraf leaders give impromptu briefing at temple
http://www.malaysiakini.tv/?vid=1495
____

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/NewsBreak/
20071125174112/Article/index_html

Opposition using street demos to win over fence-sitters, says Zahid
BERNAMA Nov 25, 2007 5:31pm

BANGI, Sun.:

Opposition political parties are making use of street demonstrations to win
over the fence-sitters in the electorate, Deputy Information Minister Datuk
Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.

He said they were forced to do so because they were unable to get supporters
of the Barisan Nasional (BN) to switch their allegiance.

"It is not easy to influence the people to switch their allegiance," he said
at the launch of a briefing on current affairs organised by the Selangor
Information Department, here.

Ahmad Zahid also said that the country's political stability has to be
further consolidated to prevent attempts by foreign elements to undermine
it.

The country's economic position must also be strengthened to prevent the
people from losing confidence in the government, he added.


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