squeak. speak. roar!

I’m afraid I have no updates for those hoping to get news about the Hindraf rally from my site. I was in Kluang attending a friend’s marriage registration since Saturday. So because of this, I was unable to attend the gathering this morning in KL. I am actually not going to whine about how I have been awake for the past 36 hours. Instead I’ll share all the information that was available to me when I was away.

After the whole drinking session with the new married couple, I went back to the hotel close to 5am this morning. I mustered enough strength to brush my teeth and tuck myself into bed.

The my phone rang. It was from Shanta who works for Hindraf. She told me FRU cops are already beating up the 8000 people gathered in Batu Caves for a (purported) MIC event. Entrapment seems to be the case because she said the FRU started beating people up and dispersing the crowd. This was at 5:15am.

She also told me the police have issued warnings at over 2000 protesters that were at KLCC around the same time. They were given 20 minutes to disperse or force will be used. I had to tell her I wasn’t in KL that time and forwarded her call to my editor and another journalist.

I don’t think this was documented by the press. I hope to get this verified soon.

I tried to sleep but my phone kept ringing. Friends and contacts trying to get hold of other friends and contacts. I was getting bits of information from various people. I stayed up till about 7.30am before proceeding to shower, pack my stuff, have breakfast before going back to my room to read the Sunday papers.

It was pure trash in lapdog Star but I shall not waste time on them.

Putzed around while waiting for the rest to get ready. I couldn’t bug them to go head for KL early, they appeared fairly detached from the Hindraf cause. So I waited and waited. We took off at 12pm.

I got updates from Nat. He got tear-gassed. Read his account here. I headed straight home to catch up on news. Al Jazeera tried their best to present a balanced report. I’m still too groggy to comment if it was indeed balanced since it carried both Samy Vellu and P Uthayakumar’s comments.

One thing is for sure, both of them failed to answer any of Hamish McDonald’s questions. The footage told a lot though.

So far according to news reports there were 30,000 people at the rally with 200 people arrested. 69 in IPK KL and the remaining in Police Training Centre (Pusat Latihan Polis, Pulapol) in Jalan Semarak, Kuala Lumpur. Lawyers are assisting them as much as they can. I heard five lawyers were allowed into IPK KL to defend the 69 arrestees but without having access to them first. That’s just ridiculous.

The petition was not delivered to the British High Commission. It will instead by submitted to the Queen herself in Buckingham Palace in the near future.

Post-mortem:
I wasn’t there. I wish I was. Had I been there, it would’ve been for work and this blog post would be more personal then factual. I would’ve had something more interesting t share. I apologise again.

So many people arrested - was this an indicator of a more rowdy crowd or a more trigger happy police in arbitrarily arresting them?

The spin in the mainstream media tomorrow. It will be vicious with Samy Vellu and DPM/PM statements, how gallant the police were and how violent the crowd was being headlined for sure. Had the crowd been violent, some police would’ve been injured, eh?

Umno is feeling the heat I’m sure. Let them burn.

To all my friends and those I have yet to meet, thanks for taking the time out to battle the water cannons and tear gas and rough manhandling by the cops. I salute you all for your bravery in your willingness to step up for your rights, our fellow countrymen’s rights, our future generations rights’ and our democratic rights.

Remember, injustice on one is an in justice to all. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.