The six-year-old niece of detained Hindraf leader P Uthayakumar was detained, while 11 others were arrested when they attempted to submit a letter at Prime Minister Department’s office in Putrajaya today.
P Vwaishhnnavi (right) is the daughter of Hindraf chairperson P Waythamoorthy who is currently in self-imposed exile in London. Her mother K Shanti was also among those arrested.Police Watch Malaysia coordinator S Jayathas, who was also held, claimed that they had been told that they were part of an illegal assembly for having gathered near the entrance of the building.
“We were trying to obtain permission from the security guards for Vwaishhnnavi to submit her letter. They said that we were from Hindraf, but we insisted that we were concerned Indians who were accompanying Vwaishnnavi,” Jayathas when contacted.
They are currently at the Putrajaya district police headquarters, but police chief Abd Razak Abd Majid declined comment when contacted.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Muhammad Sabtu Osman confirmed the arrest of eight men and three women during the incident. He clarified that Vwaishhnnavi was not arrested and is in her mother’s care.
He also said the 11 are being investigated under the Societies Act. (The Home Ministry had imposed a ban on Hindraf on Oct 15, declaring it an illegal grouping.)
Waythamoorthy furious
Contacted on her handphone while waiting for police to record her statement, Shanti said the group was attempting to submit a handwritten letter calling on Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to release all those detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) .
“The appeal letter (in Vwaishhnnavi’s handwriting) asked the prime minister to release her uncle, (and other Hindraf leaders as well as) RPK (blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin, among other ISA detainees,” said Shanti.
“She said that Deepavali would not mean anything to her, and all Malaysians, if they are not released.”
Shanti added that the letter also included a invitation for Abdullah to attend the family’s ‘open house’ in conjunction with Deepavali. “(Vwaishhnnavi) wrote that she would be waiting with flowers and cakes,” she added.
Contacted in London by phone, Waythamoorthy expressed outrage when told that her daughter, wife and supporters had been picked up by police.
“It’s ridiculous to arrest a child who has come to deliver a Deepavali card and a letter to the PM asking him to release all ISA detainees,” said an obviously incensed Waythamoorthy.
“This only shows that the PM is not telling the truth when he said he is a PM for everyone. He is not!”
On Dec 13 last year, five Hindraf leaders - Uthayakumar, M Manoharan, R Kenghadharan, V Ganabatirau and T Vasantha Kumar - were slapped with a two-year detention order under the ISA. They are being held at the Kamunting detention camp in Perak - malaysiakini.com
What use could a 6 year old possibly have?
This is quite a stupid move against HINDRAF by the government. First two women and now a 6 year old child?
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