7 still in police station

just as i finished posting the post below with the heading ‘4 arrested…’, i received a sms from stanley (6.00pm),  a  church friend, and one of the hindraf member and organiser of the anti isa rally in penang. (remember, he is also the one who is very passionate on the boycott the star campaign).

stanley’s sms said that he too had been arrested! oh no! i hope nothing happened to him and he will be released soon. altogether he said there were 7 of them arrested and they are right now at the patani road police station. he wanted people to blog about it or post about the arrest in forums/egroups and so on – to spread the news… of the police’s crazy double standard antics again!

there were only about 100 of them and they were having a peaceful demo, why arrested them? the umno demo that happened on 14 march, there were more than 100 near 1000, and top umno men were there, with seditious comments too…. but they were not arrested?? what kind of police are they?? uh oh…. police for umno!!

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here’s another related news from malaysiakini on the anti isa rally:

Free detainees or face demos, activists say
May 11, 08 2:55pm

Ethnic Indian activists today warned the government to provide medical aid to one of its leaders and free those detained under tough internal security laws or face more street rallies.

About 30 protesters from Indian rights group Hindraf blocked the entrance to a shopping mall at the iconic Petronas twin towers in downtown Kuala Lumpur to demand medical attention for P Uthayakumar, who is diabetic.

Uthayakumar and four other members of the rights group Hindraf have been detained under the tough Internal Security Act (ISA) since December after holding an anti-discrimination rally.

"This gathering is to send a clear message to the government," Hindraf coordinator S Jayathas told reporters.

"If (the government) deny (treatment to Uthayakumar and do not release the ISA detainees), then we will have a bigger gathering, that is definite," he said.

Hindraf leaders angered the government last November with a mass rally alleging discrimination in Malaysia, which is dominated by Muslim Malays.

Mounting anger within the Indian community was said to have been a factor in the government’s drubbing in March 8 polls where it lost its two-thirds majority in parliament.

Nationwide protests

Opposition lawmaker Sivarasa Rasiah, who turned up to support the event, said the government should release ISA detainees unless they had proof to charge them in open court.

"As far as I am concerned, one day under ISA detention is too long, one ISA detainee is too many," he added.

Close to 300 policemen were deployed outside the busy shopping mall to control the protesters, with water cannon vans and riot police waiting nearby.

Hindraf supporters carried posters showing a weak-looking Uthayakumar behind bars as the crowd yelled, "Abolish the ISA" and "Freedom."

Similar protests were held in six other locations through the country, organisers said.

Rights groups say 70 people, mainly alleged Islamic militants, are being held under the ISA.

Parts of the ISA date back to the British colonial era, when it was used against communist insurgents. It provides for two-year detention periods that can be renewed indefinitely.

-AFP