ps- For excellent, real-time updates and pictures, please see http://www.roses4pm.blogspot.com/
This is what some civically conscious Malaysians wanted:
This is what BN gave them: Reuters – “Tear gas scatters Malaysian ‘flower power’ protest” -
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 (Reuters) – Malaysian police used water cannon and tear gas on Saturday to break up an anti-government protest by ethnic Indians carrying roses to symbolise a peaceful demand for justice.
With the Malaysian government concerned about street protests in the run-up to early general elections on March 8, around 100 policemen, including riot police with helmets and shields, turned out to disperse a gathering of about 300 men, women and children.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s ruling coalition is widely expected to retain power at the polls, although with a reduced majority, but many Indians accuse his multi-racial coalition, dominated by ethnic Malays, of racial discrimination.
Police fired teargas and chemical-laced water cannons in a bid to disperse some 300 Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) supporters who gathered for a peaceful event in Jalan Raja Laut, Kuala Lumpur, early this morning.
There were heavy police presence in Jalan Raja Laut. Four water cannon trucks were stationed along the route leading to Parliament.
The Hindraf event was initially planned to be held at the Parliament gates where 200 children were to gather to hand over roses as a peaceful gesture requesting that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi heed the group’s 18-point demands.
News that roads leading to Parliament were closed to prevent them from going to Parliament then led them to change the gathering venue to Jalan Raja Laut.
After being chased away by some 40 plainclothes policemen, the supporters ran and were scattered around the Masjid India area.
:(
I remember being chased by plainclothes policemen at the first rally. I’ve never felt so threatened by gangsters ever in my life.
This reign of terror must stop, do your part now, or we can watch Malaysia continue to descend into tyranny and nothingness.
Are they trying to water the flowers? The Police are losing their Integrity with under control of BN. Soon everything including the Legal system, the economy, the education system….etc will all lose thier dignity and become mere tools of BN.
Fellow Malaysian, please wake up and answer the call of Justice, Freedom, and Fairness!
Update at 11.30AM – It was reported that the crowd has now dispersed and gathered around Court Malai Pillayar Temple. It is estimated around 10,000 people around the temple area. There was few stand off between FRU and the Campaigners. Apprently the FRU being very aggresive and even chasing people out of coffee shops.
http://www.roses4pm.blogspot.com/
I just came back from the Peaceful Roses Rally, let me put it straight: WE INDIANS MAKE SURE ON 8TH MARCH 2008 ALL OUR VOTES GO TO OPPOSITION.
When M’sian Govt use children as a promotion material for F1 advertisement & even can let MAS Pilot walk away without any disciplinary action for smuggling CHILD PORNOGRAPHIC material in Australia then I believe very rationally that HINDRAF can ask their children to send ROSES OF LOVE TO BADAWI.
Really depressing. I went there and the cops were joking, sitting around, happily laughing and smiling.
They just tear gassed children.
Have they no conscience?
Gawd this country is really bringing me down.. isk isk. Uwaa..
You know what? I never saw the Rose Rally as an Indian thing…
Dunno why..
I always thought it was a Malaysian thing. Until I read some blogs and their comments.
Interesting.
KLC, I need to know this. Did they really gas and watered the kids? As in directly fire them at the children? Were any of the kids hurt?
With such an attitude, I would think that BN wants to lose the coming GE.
They should release the detained Hindraf leaders under ISA and get into the peoples’ good graces but instead tear gas and water cannon children – Is this some new teaching of Islamic Haadhari or whatever it’s called?
Or are they too confident of winning with the majority 2/3rds again.
Better keep both our eyes on the EC – something do not add up.
I will do my best to ensure my son dont inherit the Malaysia of today.
I’m sadden by this highhanded barbaric approach by Malaysian Police led by the Home Minister non other than PM himself. What he has done today will be subject to maximum condemnation not only by Indians also other brothers and sisters of this country.
What would have been the outcome if the delivery of roses was successful today? As fellow Indian and Malaysian I would have been impressed if:-
- The way the PM received the roses and showing his empathy to the children and parents
- I would have felt appreciated by the comment of PM ” I am very concern and I assure you That I will be fair in my decisions concerning Indians”
- A peck of PM on the cheek of “Vaishnavi- Uthaya’s daughter” would have made most Indians melt and forgiven him and BN to some extent.
- Using the same platform to address the affected Indians who were present there, telling them He is people’ prime minister and he would ensure Indians’ concerns addressed in every possible way.
BUT these possibilities did not materialize. What happened today is another grave mistake on the part of PM, not the police as police are mere robots, acting on remote instructions.
It also shows why this man is not fit to be a PM, not even a leader of small fraternity. All in all it only shows the regime of BN is ending soon, I’m saying this as it is time for them to pay not only to Malaysian Indians but also to the Almighty for demolishing his house known as temple. And Samyvellu will not be able to wash his sins even in the next 7 incarnations.
WELL , I wanted to write a boquet of Roses that went into the longkang..
but before I write anything, I want you to Read Raja Petra’s comment to Indianputra who was bitching about the situation and grumbling about the campaign.
written by Raja Petra, February 16, 2008 | 20:45:15
Dear indianputra, we, together with my wife, Ronnie Liu, and Karpal Singh’s son who is a lawyer, were in front of Pudu Jail arguing with the police to try to get in to meet the detainees and if possible arrange for their bail and if required pay for the bail money. After that we went to the house of one of the Hindraf 5 ISA detainees to meet the wife. (And we just came home a few minutes ago after 8 hours on the move). Where were you? Sitting at home posting comments in the blog? So, who the hell cares if you care. It’s been a long day since 8.00am this morning and we really don’t care about your groaning and moaning.
Votes: +13
so, that sets the Tone for my quick update below.my photo’s would speak more.
I managed to get some good close ups and just like the previous rally, my photos would not be sensational or even see extreme actions. I do have some video’s though.
Kalei Joethi who share’s the common ideals with PSM came in a bus and was updating me the progress during the night. and She was brought to PULAPOL abt 8 am and their IC taken. and she isnt even a Hindraf supporter, she came because she felt it was the right thing to do and for the cause of Freedom of Speech and right to peaceful assembly..
Thats just among the people who were just being there to support and shower love for the Prime minister on humane grounds. Mahatma Gandhi would have been Proud.
badawi was not!
I got messages that police started firing teargas early in the morning and DBKL and jln tuanku abd rahman and merdeka square already chemical water sprayed and the Rose campaign was changed to another destination: The suhakam building.
Set out on my workers motorcyle, since I was sure my merc would not be able to get across the roadblocks and reach the epicentre at dataran merdeka to hand the roses..
My staff just told me, “tuan pergi rally tu, tolong isi minyak masa balik..” no problem
managed to get through to Jln klang lama via Kinrara and stopped but not question maybe due to my business attire. anyway took LRT from central market to masjed jamek.
too eerily quiet, something was wrong.. I knew it was just about 10am but it seemed like everything was already over.. no smoke.. no water canons.. so I coolly walked towards dataran and was shocked to see the heavy presence of police FRU, road blocks and traffic cops. I quickly whipped out a camera and sat beside an uncle to take photo.
The uncle said, careful, put back the camera , you might get caught. I listen to his words and saw immediately 15 – 20 policeman screaming and shouting behind me and running towards a lane in masjid India. Oh god. The police were chasing and people who were hiding began to run haywire. (alot of them were hiding whom I didnt see earlier). I knew I was in the wrong place.
moved back to Mcdonalds, waited 20 minutes and walked through back alley to regroup with a group which had already fought the police earlier and got sprayed near Coliseum cinema.
Made alot of new friends who were there for a common cause.
to be there to support waishnavi and support her and show the PM we Indians are a caring lot.. but he doesnt care.. No matter how big his ears are, He couldnt have heard the people chanting WE LOVE BADAWI, WE LOVE BADAWI..DAULAT TUANKU & MIC OLIGA! hINDRAF VALGHA!
one of the guys around us got a message from London about the current situation and informed us that many people were arrested including thanenthiran and manickavasagam. many people were trapped inside the courtmalai pillyar temple.
ANYWAY, slowly but cautiously walked back to Puduraya where police was intimidating everyone around the vicinity. A big group was around courtmalai pillayar temple. situation was very tense. Imagine the usual traffic Jam around puduraya coupled with a few thousand people walking around a few hundred police who were waiting with FRU to attack any direction anytime.
I saw parents with children, elderly aunties, yuppies and even many people we regularly see on malaysiakini video’s. One of the klang hunger strike Uncle, explained to us the entire situation. next step of action. next plan and how to move about and what to do and what not..
everyone was talking about election and the party that represents us. well you know how the talks would have gone. anyway, I managed to Inch my way to the ganehsa temple and saw the commotion in a close up. Police gave Mr.Raguram (whom was a leader at 25/11 rally) giving speech. police gave him 10 minutes of speech in malay. he spoke in both english and malay. excellent speech, though it was emotional I cant forget the words…
“THE GOVERMENT DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF THE ROSES THAT ARE GIVEN BY THE CHILDREN.. ITS VERY SAD.. WE ARE STILL WILLING TO NEGOTIATE WITH ANYONE WHO IS WILLING TO TAKE UP OUR CAUSE, OPPOSITION OR RULING PARTY… THE DESICIONS WILL BE MADE ON 8TH MARCH BUT WE WILL HAVE A MINI THAIPUSAM AT BATU CAVES ON 2ND MARCH AND DECIDE WHICH DIRECTION WE WILL GO. PLEASE BE THERE TO SUPPORT US..”
he earlier mentioned that all of us would be marching to pudu jail & pulapol to support Mr.Ramaji and also other leaders, but as Mr.Ragu was giving a press conference at the Pillayar temple suddenly police broke through and dragged him away in full force. It was right in front of my face. you can see the photo’s…
there was alot of commotion. It was hot and hazy but the people were not moving even when they knew Mr.Ragu and the leadership got arrested.. suddenly baton charging FRU came right into us and chased the crowd up to the jejantas of Puduraya.. but they didnt chase up and stood there wondering what their next orders was…
along Petaling street I saw an indian man ( India Mabuk? stereotyping again??) lying on the floor sleeping oblivious to what was going on.. need I go on. I just remind using the banner that I read at Malaysiakini.
WHAT IS THE FUTURE FOR US?
-senthil
ps: I went to parliment after pouring the petrol and there was no roadblock abt 2.30pm but so many police and some were sitting in the gardens and even chatting away as there had nothing to do but swat flies..
Excuse my ignorance … but given the government’s previous reactions to rallies, I struggle to understand why children were brought to the rally in the first place.
Would the parents and the leaders of the rally not have suspected the potential danger unless it was a calculated risk?