Screenshots

i thought there is a convention on not attacking civilian seeking refuge in worship places... or a 'was' already in malaysia?

Contemptible! Utterly contemptible!

Compare this story with the report in the MCA controlled Star paper...it is entirely different.Fortunately a picture speaks a thousand words. And this top-polis *** has the guts to say no tear gas or water cannons were used. He is dead worried that someone would sue them for the sacrileges done on their place of worship.

Put yourself in the shoes of law enforcement. What would you do to quell a swelling crowd in a tense situation? Would it be better to try to disperse people or otherwise? What if the British Hi-Com had earlier requested for help?

Thank you for showing what really happened.

I was not at the scene, but the pictures and Malaysiakini's version is consistent with eyewitness and first-hand accounts relayed to me of what actually happened.

It casts a shadow over the standards and independence of our journalism as practiced by the major newspapers, which has given highly differing accounts - all of which lack photographic evidence such as this to support their stories.

As much as I do not recognize the claim of the HINDRAF, I condemn the actions of the police for not respecting religion, shooting water cannons at people seeking safe refuge in a religious venue.

Malaysians have lost their common sense and respect of others. If they can do it at a Hindu temple, they could well do it anywhere.

This is outrageous!

Above pictures reminds me of a scene from the movie "Gladiator" before Maximus was apprehended.

I just cannot understand why these HINDRAF guys cannot hand in their petition to british high com. All the administrators had to do was to allow the rally at 9am, to be held a the park adjacent to KLCC, Let them stay there while the leader hand in the petition, allow a small 30minute speech, and later allow these people to disperse. Business will not be affected as shops only open after ten or eleven at KLCC and adjacent ampang park

IGP said no tear gas or water cannon used at Batu Caves (http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/11/26/nation/19576008&sec=nation) but picture above tells otherwise?

Why would law enforcement officers fire tear gas and water cannons on civilians protesting peacefully?

Herding them inside the temple grounds and firing tear gases is not justifiable on any grounds.

Do I get this right?

1) crowds are rounded up all over,
2) herded into Temple compound,
3) compound gates are locked up by the police,
4) police fire tear gas and water cannon into the crowd inside the locked compound.

If it is, this is really an act of pure cruelty. Totally inhumane. Barbaric.

Never in my wildest dream to even believe this is really happening in Malaysia.

Bersih rally:
Taking cover in mosque - safe

Hindraf "rally"
Taking cover in temple - Unsafe

Haven't you notice that somehow there were plenty of brick on the road. Does this mean that the police now resort to throwing brick to protester or do we have what we call a press black out when suddenly there were plenty of brick but no picture showing how this brick were there in the 1st place. perhaps one need to remember the '98 reformation incident where the police storms inside the masjid negara wearing boots and spraying chemical waters before saying that it is safe in masjid rather in kuil. aint we are all little bit racist?

jeff, the large group from bt cave did not make it to KLCC as planned. But they are some smaller groups who managed to break away from bt cave that morning itself went to KLCC..

thkx for the pics Jeff, requesting permission to republish..
sigh..sad.

JEFF OOI says: Yes, please. The pictures are authentic and you don't need a Royal Commission to verify them. Use them at ease.

they can actually fire tear gas into temple. wats next? c4?

Its just sad that our IGP can claim no tear gas and water cannon was used in Batu Caves while accusing the participants broke in the then locked gates and barricading themselves in there.

Looking back at the past 2 peaceful rallies, I've realised that the rot in our news agencies are far worse than it seems. Don't know about the rest of you out there, but I've stopped supporting all the local dailies in Malaysia.

I now get all my news online, heck I read Australian news more than I do for local stuff.

I just dont understand why cant we Indians gather and rally peacefully. It shows the government is afraid of us , our power.

They are so called as Democratic Country but is the way.. We are given rights to sound up...But we are bitten if we sound up.

I didnt went for the rally as I was in JB but I could feel it from the pictures...

We will fight for our rights...

why is there a need to display Gandhi's picture here, at this suppose to be peaceful rally?

this is Malaysia, NOT India (sic)

HINDRAF is successful in blocking the Malaysian indians minds especially those seen in these pictures, they seem at lost.

don't tell me they didn't know that Batu Caves is in Malaysia!.

its all wrong approach to send a message, if there is any. are these people those gone MIA after their VOA expired?
you get what you asked for. only God knows why. love this kidrock song.

Laceration | November 26, 2007 01:51 PM,
During the reformasi days, Masjid Negara was not a haven either.

i dont know whether this is good news or not, when it comes to opposing the government, the govt is not racist. they have beaten up malay pas and keadilan supporters.

This is bound to happen, considering the situation, the large number of people and both sides sheer-bloodymindedness not back down. Do you really believe that the police will not use force to force this to a close, considering what happened a couple of weeks ago at the BERSIH rally and how they were pilloried, and then mocked for not being effective in blocking the rally? This is turning to a confratation of wills, and one way or another, a side will suffer, and more than anything, these event will polarise the population further.

Everyone here is very good at slamming the police, someone here had the cheek to actually suggest that the police be investigated on whether the police used live bullets or not, but I'd like to see someone give a suggestion as to how the police is supposed to react. The gathering has been deemed illegal, they can only enforce the law, and in a situation where you have large numbers of people like that, any security person will point out that the only recourse is either to use massive force to control the situation, basically pulversied the oppostion to submission, or alternatively, let the march proceed, which obviously be against their orders.

You have a problem with the law, or the one who wields the police, go after the bosses, change the laws, but have a little perspective about what the average man in uniform is faced with when dealing with such situations.

Situations like this will only escalate if the current approach by both sides, do not change. Someone has to give, this is a test of wills.

Jeff,

Pls publish Hindraf memorandum, if you are really into fair reporting. Read the contents guys b4 supporting Hindraf blindly. What an uttter piece of crap. Sure this guy is a lawyer. More like a bloody rebel rouser.

All parties must work together to help improve the system, and show that Malaysians can run the country well, long after the departure of the British.

http://sophiesworld-sophiesworld.blogspot.com/2007/11/sad-day-for-malaysian-indians.html

I think many Malaysians sympathise with HINDRAF. Speaking out through demonstration is a true democratic action. Only in dictator countries like Burma and China is it not allowed and banned. Anybody should excercise their democratic right. I can see BN is at the throes of voted out in next election.

Rounding up the crowd into a confined compound , lock them up and then fire tear gas and chemical water is plain wrong.

At 1st, I can't really see that the police forced them in the lock them up. But the Channel News Asia video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpXRCmBeupQ) confirmed what I didn't want to believe.

Really, Malaysians sympathised and support the HINDRAF movement? Do they know what they are supporting? Has anyone really seen what is it that the HINDRAF is asking?

Zagato made a point to have their demands checked, I've seen what he was referring to, and if the memo is true, than it is damning on the organisers. But only if its true. I wonder sincerely, why would anyone deliver a memo on a rest day? Why have a demo if anything else? Are the people, the supporters, really supporting this because of social justice, or are they blinded by the promise of RM 1.0 million? I wonder, have we really evolved into a thinking community since those days of believing blindly in the mainstream media, or have we traded one biased view for another?

As a Malaysian Indian(Hindu), I find Hindraf's petition to the Queen/British Government to be absurd. In any case, if it was true that they were requested to get 100 000 signatures, they should have just done that and handed over the petition to the High Commision in a peaceful manner. There was no need to gather thousands of innocent people and cause chaos in the city. It makes one wonder what the true motive of HINDRAF was. One thing is for sure, it was a sad day which has given a very bad impression of Malaysian Indians.

Regarding the usage of water cannons and teargas, I personally feel it is a violation of human rights. Regardless of whether it was used at the 'Bersih' rally or the 'Hindraf' rally. We're all humans regardless of our race and religion.

As a concerned Malaysian, I am deeply saddenned to see the photographs above, to have known what really took place on that day. To see teargas fired at people who were forced to gather into a temple compund and locked up is very disturbing. Definitely questions our humanitarian values and respect we have for each others places of worship/holy sites.

Totally different from what I read in the local dailies.(Boy, I wish they'd shown this on Al-Jazeera).Using force on people who have gathered for a peaceful protest would only incite hate and violence. The police should have understood that. The best option would have been to allow these rallies(Bersih and HINDRAF) to go on and have them hand their petition to the respective parties, with police being there to ensure safety of public property, etc.

As a concerned Malaysian, I really hope we would not have incidents like these taking place anymore.

btw, The Star conveniently left out images of the water cannon truck and teargas trailing into the temple in their video of the Batu Caves incident.

http://videos.thestar.com.my/default.aspx?vid=652

ppl, lets read between the lines. if u have been following the HINDRAF leaders' actions and movements not only now but for the past few montsh or years, you would understand the reason for the peace rally.if u only look at the surface, u'll never undertand the need for such actions.

and i believe the reason for carrying pictures of gandhi is to let know that its a peace rally n no harm intended as gandhi is generally accepted as a symbol of peace.so, one should not say that 'this is malaysia n not india'!

as for the teargas and all, pictures speak louder than words in the papers!

Saddening, really saddening that the news is not what it really was reported in Monday's Star paper.

Instead of demonstrators "breaking the lock of the compound and destroying temple property", it was "the demonstrators being herded into the compound AND sprayed with chemically laced water and pounded with tear gas rounds"

Shame shame shame. I may not agree with the HINDRAF objectives but the treatment of protestors; young old alike by the Police and FRU is simply barbaric. Shame on you the Abdullah Government for the cover up, shame on you the Police and FRU for the mistreatment of a participants of a peaceful protest. Shame on you.

I HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING UDAYAMOORTHI DOES ANYONE REALISE THAT HE IS NOT DOING ANY OF THIS FOR PERSONAL OR POLITCAL GAIN .

HE WANTS THE WORLD TO BE AWARE OF THE MALAYSIAN INDIANS SITUATION.I WISH I WAS IN MALAYSIA WHERE IS 'MIC' WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO HELP INDIANS!!!!!!!

Hey guyz,.there was a swap in my comment..

The comment started from
" why is there a need to display Gandhi's picture here, at this suppose to be peaceful rally?

this is Malaysia, NOT India (sic)" is not sent by me and the post
" I just dont understand why cant we Indians gather and rally peacefully. It shows the government is afraid of us , our power. "
was sent by me...Please dont get me wrong..

I am HINDRAF True supporter..