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PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHKL #0105/01 0501016
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 191016Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0548
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0749
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0384
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 2468
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUALA LUMPUR 000105 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MTS AND DRL -- JANE KIM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL PINR ASEC KDEM MY
SUBJECT: INDIAN "ROSE RALLY" DOUSED BY POLICE 
 
REF: A. 07 KUALA LUMPUR 1710 - HINDRAF LEADERS DETAINED 
 
        UNDER ISA 
     ¶B. 07 KUALA LUMPUR 1684 - INDIAN GRIEVANCES AND 
        TENSIONS 
     ¶C. 07 KUALA LUMPUR 1647 - POLICE BREAK-UP INDIAN 
        PROTEST 
     ¶D. 07 KUALA LUMPUR 1646 - POLICE DETAIN INDIAN 
        ACTIVISTS 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  An ethnic Indian demonstration on 
February 16 by the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF), in 
the form of a march to present roses to Malaysia's Prime 
Minister, met with a stiff police response, including use of 
water cannon, tear gas and arrests.  With probably less than 
a thousand people on the street, the event did not approach 
the 20,000 or so protesters that joined HINDRAF's November 25 
demonstration, which startled the nation.  Prime Minister 
Abdullah condemned the organizers as "extremists" out to 
disrupt the upcoming elections.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) HINDRAF leaders organized a "rose rally" on 
February 16 in Kuala Lumpur, representing HINDRAF's first 
attempt to stage a major demonstration since their large 
November 25 protest startled the ruling National Front 
government and the public.  The rally's objective was for 
HINDRAF supporters to march to the Parliament building to 
symbolically deliver roses to the Prime Minister as a means 
to press their campaign for ethnic Indian rights and 
highlight the plight of HINDRAF leaders detained without 
trial under the Internal Security Act (ISA).  HINDRAF called 
for 200 children to lead a peaceful march of 10,000 
protesters.  HINDRAF's leader, P. Waythamoorthy, now residing 
in London in de facto exile, said the roses represented both 
the Malaysian-Indian community's love for Malaysia and desire 
for justice for the five detained HINDRAF leaders (ref A). 
Police denied a permit for the event and released a public 
warning the day prior to the planned demonstration. 
Assistant Police Commissioner Ahmad Sofian stated the march 
was illegal and that police had not granted a permit on the 
grounds of "security and public order," and likely traffic 
disruptions.  He also stated that parents who brought their 
children to the protest could be charged for compromising 
their children's safety. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Police erected road blocks in the vicinity of 
Parliament and checked ethnic Indian members of the public 
beginning in the early morning hours of February 16.  The 
march was meant to begin at 10:00 a.m., but police used tear 
gas and water cannons on the assembling crowd as early as 
8:30 a.m.  One journalist poloff spoke with estimated the 
crowd was close to 2,000 when the police first used tear gas, 
though most observers placed the number below one thousand. 
At mid-morning Poloff observed about 300 protesters in the 
area of Merdeka (Independence) Square, including a few 
children with roses.  The police gathered in strength, 
including riot police and three water canons deployed around 
Merdeka Square and effectively interdicted HINDRAF supporters 
trying to assemble in the area.  The demonstration never 
gained coherence and was dealt with quickly by the police 
before most press and observers were on the scene to witness 
events.  Police arrested at least 162 individuals during the 
day.  All were later released without charges except for the 
eight protest organizers, who were freed on bail by February 
¶18.  The Kuala Lumpur-based Al Jazeera news team provided 
international media coverage of the attempted demonstration, 
including police use of tear gas and arrests. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi in public comments 
on February 16 labeled HINDRAF an "extremist group," claiming 
the march was designed to disrupt the general election, now 
planned for March 8.  Abdullah said, "People who disrupt the 
elections do not respect the democratic process.  When there 
is disorder, the people do not come out to vote for fear of 
getting caught in fights."  He also condemned the use of 
children in the protest, saying it placed the children at 
risk. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Comment: Police warnings and threats of arrest, 
roadblocks, and use of water cannon and tear gas doused 
HINDRAF's attempted "rose rally," and kept the number of 
would-be protesters to a minimum.  The government continues 
to downplay HINDRAF's impact, and to describe its activists 
as dangerous extremists.  Nevertheless, HINDRAF's actions 
have forced the government to engage in damage control by 
 
KUALA LUMP 00000105  002 OF 002 
 
 
turning official attention, at least rhetorically, to Indian 
community concerns in the run-up to the March 8 national 
election. 
KEITH