MIC Youth led a second demonstration outside the Sri Lankan embassy in Kuala Lumpur today - opposing the country’s military offensive against their northern province’s Tamil minority.
Hundreds of MIC Youth members, party supporters and NGO representatives were bussed in from all over the country for the protest.
This time they were joined by about 200 Putera Umno members led by Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim. There were also small representations from the youth wings of Gerakan, PPP and MCA.
Last Friday MIC Youth had similar but smaller demonstration at the same site.
At about 3pm, the crowd armed with placards and banners marched some 100 metres towards the Sri Lankan embassy and gathered there for about 30 minutes.
At that point the crowd had swollen to about 1,000 people, including children.
They chanted slogans such as "Don’t kill the innocent", "No war" and "Stop the killings" in Tamil. The protestors also donned black arm bands to show they were mourning for the dead civilians in the conflict.
Memorandum handed
By about 4pm, protest representatives handed a memorandum to Sri Lankan embassy officials - as representatives of BN Youth demanding the Sri Lankan government to cease their military aggression.
The Sri Lankan government was also urged to allow international aid organisations into the affected areas and resume negotiations with combatants.
Speaking to reporters later, chief organiser of the protest S Murugesan told reporters that the protestors represented the cross-section of Malaysians who are opposed to the violence in Sri Lanka
Abdul Azeez (left) said that Umno Youth and youth wings of other Barisan component parties had joined the MIC Youth initiated demonstration on the basis of friendship.
"We give full support to this action initiated by MIC Youth especially in opposing the use of violence against civilians and the bombings of hospitals and schools," he said.
He said that the protest was not meant to be a political action, but it should be seen as a humanitarian appeal for the Sri Lankan government to end military violence.
No police permit?
The event was closely watched by 50 police personnel who did not intervene except to halt the protestors 50 metres from the embassy.
Asked if a police permit had been obtained for the protest, Murugesan did not give a direct answer.
"We have applied for it… We were told in that in principle, they (the police) have agreed," he said.
The police have come under fire of late after a series of crackdown on opposition or NGO organised public rallies while allowing BN-linked organisations to gather without police hassle.
Several demonstrations against the Pakatan Rakyat state-governments in Shah Alam and in Penang were held without police permits but police action were not taken against them - malaysiakini.com
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