[Sreekar]

Ethnic Indians to stage rally in Malaysia
(source:The Times of India: Breaking news, views, reviews, cricket from across India.)

Ethnic Indian activists in Malaysia on Wednesday pledged to defy a police ban on their proposed rally outside parliament here on Saturday to seek release of five detained leaders of a Hindu rights group complaining of racial inequality.

"We have applied for a permit to gather outside parliament but have not heard from the police... Irrespective of things we intend to assemble peacefully outside Parliament on February 16," Sunderan, the adviser of the non-governmental Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), said.

Police have, meanwhile, refused to grant them permission to gather outside parliament, which was dissolved by Premier Abdullah Badawi on Wednesday, as Hindraf is not a registered body.

Hindraf Chairman Wayathamoorthy's daughter and some other children also planned to walk to parliament and present Abdullah with roses and a note appealing for release of the Hindraf leaders detained under the controversial Internal Security Act after they organised a rally of over 20,000 ethnic Indians in November last year.

Five-year-old Vaishnnavi has already written to Abdullah asking him to be present to receive the roses, a part of the Valentine Flower Campaign by Hindraf which has been leading a campaign against alleged marginalisation of ethnic Indians.

The girl had also written to the Malaysian Human Rights Commission chief and Penang Chief Minister to accompany her to parliament "to protect her from any violence from police."

"It is our right to assemble peacefully," Surendran said adding 10,000 people are expected to attend the weekend rally. Several supporters would be coming from outside Kuala Lumpur.

Surendran said they did not know if Abdullah would come to receive the flowers from the children. "There has been complete silence from their end."

-Thanks much,
Sreekar