Hindu Rights Action Force, better known by its acronym HINDRAF (, ); is a Hindu extremist non-governmental organisation (NGO) with its renowned slogan of Kuasa Rakyat  (மக்கள் சக்தி / Makkal Sakti ) translated as People's Power. This extreme-right organisation began as a coalition of 30 Hindu non-governmental organisations (NGOs) committed to the preservation of Hindu community rights and heritage in a multiracial Malaysia.Hindu group protests "temple cleansing" in Malaysia  HINDRAF has had a major impact on the political landscape of Malaysia by staging the  2007 HINDRAF rally. Following an enormous rally organised by HINDRAF in November 2007, several prominent members of the organisation were arrested, some on charges of sedition. The charges were dismissed by the courts. Five people have since been detained without trial under the Internal Security Act. Toward the end of the 2000s, the group developed a broader political program to preserve and to push for equal rights and opportunities for the minority Indians. It has been successful in continuing to focus attention on the racist aspects of Malaysian Government policies. Events HINDRAF members carrying posters of Mahatma Gandhi and banners during a protest in Kuala Lumpur. Arrests in October 2007 On 30 October, four HINDRAF Group members, M. Manoharan, P. Uthayakumar, P. Waytha Moorthy and V. Ganabathirau, were arrested and detained for taking part in the 2007 HINDRAF demonstration against the demolition of a Hindu shrine in Kuala Lumpur. However, they were acquitted due to a lack of evidence of incitement and sedition. Human rights forum A series of peaceful weekend forums were organised throughout Malaysia to increase the awareness of Hindu human rights by HINDRAF. A previous forum held near central Kuala Lumpur was disrupted by the Royal Malaysian Police, according to HINDRAF.POLICE ATTEMPTS TO SABOTAGE HINDRAF FORUM IN SEMENYIH ON 6.10.2007 Subsequently, HINDRAF appealed directly to the Inspector General of the Malaysian Police  in an attempt to ensure future forums went on peacefully.Hindraf seek IGP protection for nationwide forums / assemblies Arrests in November On 23 November 2007, three HINDRAF members, P. Uthayakumar,  Waytha Moorthy, and V. Ganabathirau, were arrested and charged under the Sedition Act. However, in a series of repeated arrests and releases, the courts could not prove that they had incited racial hatred. The only evidence against them were unreliable translations of their Tamil speeches into Bahasa Malaysia presented by the Attorney-General's Chambers, which the courts deemed as unverifiable. Eventually, they were all acquitted due to a shaky prosecution and the lack of evidence of any wrongdoing or crime. Subscription required Petition and rally On 31 August 2007, the 50th anniversary of Malaysia's independence, P. Waytha Moorthy, a HINDRAF lawyer filed a class action suit against the Government of the United Kingdom at the Royal Courts of Justice in London for US$4 trillion (US$1 million for every Malaysian Indian) for "withdrawing after granting independence and leaving us (Indians) unprotected and at the mercy of a majority Malay-Muslim government that has violated our rights as minority Indians"  Particulars of Claim. as guaranteed in the Federal Constitution when independence was granted. The lawsuit is not only claiming 4 trillion British Pounds as compensation, it is also seeking to strike out Article 153 of the Malaysian Constitution which acknowledges Malay Supremacy , and for the court to declare that Malaysia is a secular state and not an Islamic state Inter Press Service news report. as declared by former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad who is Malay of Indian-Muslim URL Mahathir – URL Doctor in the House - I Am A Malay HINDRAF organised the rally on Sunday, 25 November 2007 to submit the petition at the British High Commission. Malaysian police refused to grant a permit for the rally,Malaysiakini (needs subscription) and set up roadblocks in Klang Valley along roads leading up to the rally to screen motorists entering the city centre and identify "troublemakers".Detikdaily - Hindraf rally: Arrests, roadblocks will make it worse They also advised the public not to participate in the rally, and arrested three HINDRAF leaders. Many shops around Kuala Lumpur including Suria KLCC were closed on that day for fear of trouble from the rally. One day before the rally, police arrested three HINDRAF lawyers , P. Uthayakumar, P. Waytha Moorthy and V. Ganabathirau on sedition charges. Uthayakumar and Ganabathirau posted bail of 800 Malaysian ringgits each, but Waytha Moorthy refused bail as a sign of protest. Daily Express, East Malaysia Independent Newspaper The Standard Hong Kong iMOL, Indian Malaysian Online Response from the government Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak warned that the government would invoke the Internal Security Act (ISA) against the demonstrators if needs be. The prime minister further criticised the demonstrators, after he made a promise that he would listen to everyone even if they have unpleasant words to say. The government of Abdullah  Badawi also attempted to link terrorism with the HINDRAF rally via the media.US defends peaceful protests in Malaysia The Straits Times Response to the detentions Even as Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi started threatening to use the ISA against the HINDRAF leaders for bringing Malaysia's racist policies out into the open for all to see, foreign news outlets criticised Badawi's lack of initiative to tackle the root cause of the problem. The detention without trial of the HINDRAF leaders drew negative comments in the foreign press about Badawi's administration and the poor way that the Government of Malaysia was handling the issue. The Democratic Action Party  vowed to challenge the detention of the HINDRAF leaders. Despite the arrests, the opposition and most of the NGOs were unfazed and continued to challenge UMNO's deconstruction of democracy in Malaysia. The United States also voiced their disapproval of this latest round of ISA arrests. The official HINDRAF website at URL has been allowed by Malaysian ISPs again, after a brief ban. However, this site is constantly plagued by faults and downtime. In response to the ban, sites such as URL URL were spawned to maintain awareness of this movement, in addition to the many blogs available. The movement started in Malaysia, has grown global and now has following in UK, Australia, Canada , and USA. The impact of HINDRAF on the 12th Malaysian general elections The 12th general election showed how HINDRAF had become one of the triggers for a major change in the course of the country. The general dissatisfaction with the regime ruled by UMNO had been brewing for some years and the Hindraf Rally of 25 November caused what has been called a political tsunami in Malaysian politics. Hindraf declared as illegal organisation After several warnings by the Malaysian government HINDRAF was officially banned on 15 October 2008. This was confirmed by the Malaysian Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid URL In a statement issued by the ministry, Syed Hamid said the decision to declare HINDRAF an illegal organisation was made following the ministry being satisfied with facts and evidence that showed HINDRAF had and was being used for unlawful purposes and posed a threat to public order and morality. %DIFDELCMD < %DIFDELCMD < %%% "Based on powers vested under Section 5 (1) of the Societies Act, HINDRAF from today is declared an illegal organisation," he said. %DIFDELCMD < %DIFDELCMD < %%% He said the order was being made as a result of monitoring and investigation of the organisation's activities, since its inception, by the Registrar of Societies  and the Home Ministry. More detentions by the Malaysian government On 23 October 2008, a group comprising eight men, three women, and a child, were arrested by the police after they tried to hand a memorandum to the Prime Minister's office. It called for the release of the five HNDRAF leaders from detention under the Internal Security Act. URL Hindraf members arrested in front of PM's URL Hindraf 11 held over illegal assembly It was discovered that HINDRAF leader P.Waythamoorthy's six-year-old daughter was amongst the people URL Waythamoorthy's wife, daughter and 10 other Hindraf supporters detained Legalization status The ban imposed on this minority rights group was later lifted by the Malaysian Home Ministry on 26 January 2013 and on 8 March 2013 the Malaysian Registrar of Societies (RoS ) had approved the registration of URL Recently on 18 April 2013, factions of HINDRAF led by P. Waythamoorthy signed a memorandum of understanding with Barisan Nasional whereby they would work together to uplift displaced estate workers, resolve the issue of stateless persons and provide business opportunities thus bringing poor Indians into the mainstream of the country's development. Others would spread out to parties within the federal opposition Pakatan Rakyat, mostly to DAP or PKR 2007 HINDRAF rally P. Waytha Moorthy – Human Rights Lawyer and Former Chairperson of HINDRAF Malaysian Advancement Party (MAP) Human Rights Party Malaysia (HRP) Malaysia Makkal Sakti Party (MMSP) Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) - component of Barisan Nasional (BN) Article 153 of the Constitution of Malaysia – Article 153 of the Constitution of Federal Malaysia History of Malaysia – History of Malaysia before and after Independence Hinduism in Malaysia – Status of Hinduism in Malaysia Bumiputra – Bumiputera in Malaysia and its chronology Reid Commission – An independent commission responsible for drafting the Constitution of the Federation Malaya Law of Malaysia – Law of Malaysia Malaysian Tamils Cow head protests Zakir Naik Category:2009 establishments in Malaysia Category:Non-profit organisations based in Malaysia Category:Political organisations based in Malaysia Category:Human rights organisations based in Malaysia Category:Hindu organisations based in Malaysia Category:Hindu political parties in Malaysia Category:Discrimination in Malaysia Category:Freedom of religion Category:Persecution of Hindus Category:Persecution by Muslims Category:Indian-Malaysian cultur
Hindu Rights Action Force, better known by its acronym HINDRAF (, ); is a Hindu-activism non-governmental organisation (NGO) with its renowned slogan of Kuasa Rakyat or Makkal Sakti (மக்கள் சக்தி ) translated as People's Power. This extreme-right organisation began as a coalition of 30 Hindu non-governmental organisations (NGOs) committed to the preservation of Hindu community rights and heritage in a multiracial Malaysia.Hindu group protests "temple cleansing" in Malaysia cite URL January 2006|publisher=Asia Times |title=Southeast Asia news and business from Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam |access-date=15 April 2016 HINDRAF has had a major impact on the political landscape of Malaysia by staging the infamous 2007 HINDRAF rally. Following an enormous rally organised by HINDRAF in November 2007, several prominent members of the organisation were arrested, some on charges of sedition. The charges were dismissed by the courts. Five people have since been detained without trial under the Internal Security Act. Toward the end of the 2000s, the group developed a broader political program to preserve and to push for equal rights and opportunities for the minority Indians. It has been successful in continuing to focus attention on the racist aspects of Malaysian Government policies. Events HINDRAF members carrying posters of Mahatma Gandhi and banners during a protest in Kuala Lumpur. Arrests in October 2007 On 30 October, four HINDRAF Group members, M. Manoharan, P. Uthayakumar, P. Waytha Moorthy and V. Ganabathirau, were arrested and detained for taking part in the 2007 HINDRAF demonstration against the demolition of a Hindu shrine in Kuala Lumpur. However, they were acquitted due to a lack of evidence of incitement and sedition. Human rights forum A series of peaceful weekend forums were organised throughout Malaysia to increase the awareness of Hindu human rights by HINDRAF. A previous forum held near central Kuala Lumpur was disrupted by the Royal Malaysian Police, according to HINDRAF.POLICE ATTEMPTS TO SABOTAGE HINDRAF FORUM IN SEMENYIH ON 6.10.2007 Subsequently, HINDRAF appealed directly to the Inspector-General of Police (Malaysia)|Inspector-General of Police (IGP) in an attempt to ensure future forums went on peacefully.Hindraf seek IGP protection for nationwide forums / assemblies Arrests in November On 23 November 2007, three HINDRAF members, P. Uthayakumar, P. Waytha Moorthy, and V. Ganabathirau, were arrested and charged under the Sedition Act. However, in a series of repeated arrests and releases, the courts could not prove that they had incited racial hatred. The only evidence against them were unreliable translations of their Tamil speeches into Bahasa Malaysia presented by the Attorney-General's Chambers, which the courts deemed as unverifiable. Eventually, they were all acquitted due to a shaky prosecution and the lack of evidence of any wrongdoing or crime. Subscription required Lawsuit, petition and rally On 31 August 2007, the 50th anniversary of Malaysia's independence, P. Waytha Moorthy, a HINDRAF lawyer filed a class action suit against the Government of the United Kingdom at the Royal Courts of Justice in London for US$4 trillion (US$1 million for every Malaysian Indian) for "withdrawing after granting independence and leaving us (Indians) unprotected and at the mercy of a majority Malay-Muslim government that has violated our rights as minority Indians" as the negligence of the supposedly independent Reid Commission responsible for drafting the Constitution of the Federation Malaya. Particulars of Claim. as guaranteed in the Federal Constitution when independence was granted. The lawsuit is not only claiming 4 trillion British Pounds as compensation, it is also seeking to strike out Article 153 of the Malaysian Constitution which acknowledges Malay Supremacy and for the court to declare that Malaysia is a secular state and not an Islamic state Inter Press Service news report. as declared by former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad who is Malay of Indian-Muslim URL Mahathir – URL Doctor in the House - I Am A Malay HINDRAF organised the rally on 25 November 2007 to submit the petition at the British High Commission. Malaysian police refused to grant a permit for the rally,Malaysiakini (needs subscription) and set up roadblocks in Klang Valley along roads leading up to the rally to screen motorists entering the city centre and identify "troublemakers".Detikdaily - Hindraf rally: Arrests, roadblocks will make it worse They also advised the public not to participate in the rally, and arrested three HINDRAF leaders. Many shops around Kuala Lumpur including Suria KLCC were closed on that day for fear of trouble from the rally. One day before the rally, police arrested three HINDRAF lawyers ; Uthayakumar, Waytha Moorthy and Ganabathirau on sedition charges. Uthayakumar and Ganabathirau posted bail of 800 Malaysian ringgits each, but Waytha Moorthy refused bail as a sign of protest. Daily Express, East Malaysia Independent Newspaper The Standard Hong Kong iMOL, Indian Malaysian Online Response from the government Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak warned that the government would invoke the Internal Security Act (ISA) against the demonstrators if needs be. The prime minister further criticised the demonstrators, after he made a promise that he would listen to everyone even if they have unpleasant words to say. The government of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi also attempted to link terrorism with the HINDRAF rally via the media.US defends peaceful protests in Malaysia The Straits Times Response to the detentions Even as Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi started threatening to use the ISA against the HINDRAF leaders for bringing Malaysia's racist policies out into the open for all to see, foreign news outlets criticised Badawi's lack of initiative to tackle the root cause of the problem. The detention without trial of the HINDRAF leaders drew negative comments in the foreign press about Badawi's administration and the poor way that the Government of Malaysia was handling the issue. The Democratic Action Party (DAP) vowed to challenge the detention of the HINDRAF leaders. Despite the arrests, the opposition and most of the NGOs were unfazed and continued to challenge UMNO's deconstruction of democracy in Malaysia. The United States also voiced their disapproval of this latest round of ISA arrests. The official HINDRAF website at URL has been allowed by Malaysian ISPs again, after a brief ban. However, this site is constantly plagued by faults and downtime. In response to the ban, sites such as URL URL were spawned to maintain awareness of this movement, in addition to the many blogs available. The movement started in Malaysia, has grown global and now has following in UK, Australia, Canada and USA. The impact of HINDRAF on the 12th Malaysian general elections The 2008 Malaysian general election showed how HINDRAF had become one of the triggers for a major change in the course of the country. The general dissatisfaction with the regime ruled by UMNO had been brewing for some years and the HINDRAF Rally of 25 November caused what has been called a political tsunami in Malaysian politics. Declared illegal and banned After several warnings by the Malaysian government HINDRAF was officially banned on 15 October 2008. This was confirmed by the Malaysian Home Minister , Syed Hamid URL In a statement issued by the ministry, Syed Hamid said the decision to declare HINDRAF an illegal organisation was made following the ministry being satisfied with facts and evidence that showed HINDRAF had and was being used for unlawful purposes and posed a threat to public order and morality. %DIFDELCMD < %DIFDELCMD < %%% "Based on powers vested under Section 5 (1) of the Societies Act, HINDRAF from today is declared an illegal organisation," he said. %DIFDELCMD < %DIFDELCMD < %%% He said the order was being made as a result of monitoring and investigation of the organisation's activities, since its inception, by the Registrar of Societies (RoS) and the Home Ministry. More detentions by the Malaysian government On 23 October 2008, a group comprising eight men, three women, and a child, were arrested by the police after they tried to hand a memorandum to the Prime Minister's office. It called for the release of the five HNDRAF leaders from detention under the Internal Security URL Hindraf members arrested in front of PM's URL Hindraf 11 held over illegal assembly It was discovered that HINDRAF leader P.Waythamoorthy's six-year-old daughter was amongst the people URL Waythamoorthy's wife, daughter and 10 other Hindraf supporters detained Legality reinstated and registration approval The ban imposed on this minority rights group was later lifted by the Malaysian Home Ministry on 26 January 2013 and on 8 March 2013 the RoS had approved the registration of URL Recently on 18 April 2013, factions of HINDRAF led by P. Waythamoorthy signed a memorandum of understanding with Barisan Nasional whereby they would work together to uplift displaced estate workers, resolve the issue of stateless persons and provide business opportunities thus bringing poor Indians into the mainstream of the country's development. Others would spread out to parties within the federal opposition Pakatan Rakyat, mostly to DAP or PKR 2007 HINDRAF rally P. Waytha Moorthy – Human Rights Lawyer and Former Chairperson of HINDRAF Malaysian Advancement Party (MAP) Human Rights Party Malaysia (HRP) Malaysia Makkal Sakti Party (MMSP) Article 153 of the Constitution of Malaysia – Article 153 of the Constitution of Federal Malaysia History of Malaysia – History of Malaysia before and after Independence Hinduism in Malaysia – Status of Hinduism in Malaysia Malaysian Tamils Category:2009 establishments in Malaysia Category:Non-profit organisations based in Malaysia Category:Political organisations based in Malaysia Category:Human rights organisations based in Malaysia Category:Hindu organisations based in Malaysia Category:Hindu political parties in Malaysia Category:Discrimination in Malaysia Category:Freedom of religion Category:Persecution of Hindus Category:Indian-Malaysian cultur
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