Hundreds of ethnic-Indians converged near a detention centre where Malaysia is holding a controversial security law and "prayed" for the release of all those arrested.
KUALA LUMPUR: Braving government pressure, hundreds of ethnic-Indians on Sunday converged near a detention centre where Malaysia is holding five of their leaders under a controversial security law and "prayed" for the release of all those arrested for taking part in protests against alleged marginalisation of the community.
About 500 people assembled in a temple near the detention camp in Kamunting in northern Malaysia, about 400 km from here, and released doves to pray for the welfare of the five detained under ISA and 31 others who have been charged with attempt to murder and await bail hearing on Monday.
"These people are not terrorists... we demand their immediate release. The government is escaping from the real issue," an activist of Hindraf, which has spearheaded protests by ethnic-Indians here, said.
As police sealed all roads leading to the camp in Perak state, the people chose to hold prayers at a nearby temple and released 36 doves, one for each detainee.
This was perhaps the first such mass gathering after the November 25 police crackdown on ethnic-Indians in the Malaysian capital. The protest caught the government by surprise and it blamed it on those trying to create chaos in the multi-racial country.
The five Hindraf leaders were taken into custody under the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA) that allows indefinite detention without trial while 31 others were arrested for allegedly causing injury to a policeman during the last month's protest.
The government has also accused Hindraf of having terror links, including with the LTTE, a charge denied by the outfit.
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