P Uthayakumar, the key leader of outlawed Hindraf movement, claimed that he was thrown out of the Kamunting Detention Camp after he rejected the conditions of his release.
Recollecting the events that transpired inside the Kamunting prison before he was freed this afternoon, Uthayakumar claimed that prison officials had dragged him out of the camp and thrown him into the prison van following his repeated refusal to sign the conditional papers.
“I stressed that there must be no conditional release. Otherwise, I would continue to stay here,” he told reporters and about 100 Hindraf supporters at the gate of the Kamunting Detention Camp, Perak, after spending 18 months under ISA detention.
Uthayakumar also claimed that he was tricked into seeing a prison director who said the he could sign a release order instead of the conditional papers.
“However, when I got into his office, the director gave me the conditional release papers (to sign). Again, I refused. After that, a guy took me away forcefully and threw me into a prison van,” said Uthayakumar.
In the melee, Uthayakumar said he had hurt his right leg, near the area of his damaged toe for which he had earlier sought treatment while in detention.
It is learnt that the release of the three Hindraf leaders today are subject to a number of conditions, including being barred from speaking at public functions.
‘I’m wearing the same blue pants’
However, Uthayakumar feared that he could be forced to sign the conditional release papers before he even reaches home.
“I was told that the Special Branch are all waiting for me and wanted me to go to Brickfields police station to sign the papers. But I will not bow to this,” he said.
“If they force me, I will not do it as I prefer going back to Kamunting prison,” he vowed.
Uthayakumar also refused to express his gratitude to the government for freeing him after spending “514 days behind bars”.
“I won’t thank the government because I should have been brought to court in the first place and given a fair trial. But this procedure was not followed,” said Uthayakumar, who appeared haggard with a full-grown beard.
The lawyer, who has not shaved his beard since the day of his arrest on Dec 13, 2007, however admitted that he may “look like a mad man”.
“Since Day One, I have grown this beard and hair, and I vowed never to shave it off (until his release). And these are the same blue pants that I have been wearing ever since.
“I may look like a mad man, but the confinement has made me wiser and I have all these ideas coming through (in my head) for the benefits of the Indian community,” he said.
Uthayakumar and his family later went to Sri Maha Mariamal Temple near Kamunting for prayers before leaving for his mother's house in Seremban.
My 500th day under ISA
Recollecting the events that transpired inside the Kamunting prison before he was freed this afternoon, Uthayakumar claimed that prison officials had dragged him out of the camp and thrown him into the prison van following his repeated refusal to sign the conditional papers.
“I stressed that there must be no conditional release. Otherwise, I would continue to stay here,” he told reporters and about 100 Hindraf supporters at the gate of the Kamunting Detention Camp, Perak, after spending 18 months under ISA detention.Uthayakumar also claimed that he was tricked into seeing a prison director who said the he could sign a release order instead of the conditional papers.
“However, when I got into his office, the director gave me the conditional release papers (to sign). Again, I refused. After that, a guy took me away forcefully and threw me into a prison van,” said Uthayakumar.
In the melee, Uthayakumar said he had hurt his right leg, near the area of his damaged toe for which he had earlier sought treatment while in detention.
It is learnt that the release of the three Hindraf leaders today are subject to a number of conditions, including being barred from speaking at public functions.
‘I’m wearing the same blue pants’
However, Uthayakumar feared that he could be forced to sign the conditional release papers before he even reaches home.
“I was told that the Special Branch are all waiting for me and wanted me to go to Brickfields police station to sign the papers. But I will not bow to this,” he said.
“If they force me, I will not do it as I prefer going back to Kamunting prison,” he vowed.
Uthayakumar also refused to express his gratitude to the government for freeing him after spending “514 days behind bars”.
“I won’t thank the government because I should have been brought to court in the first place and given a fair trial. But this procedure was not followed,” said Uthayakumar, who appeared haggard with a full-grown beard.
The lawyer, who has not shaved his beard since the day of his arrest on Dec 13, 2007, however admitted that he may “look like a mad man”.
“Since Day One, I have grown this beard and hair, and I vowed never to shave it off (until his release). And these are the same blue pants that I have been wearing ever since.
“I may look like a mad man, but the confinement has made me wiser and I have all these ideas coming through (in my head) for the benefits of the Indian community,” he said.
Uthayakumar and his family later went to Sri Maha Mariamal Temple near Kamunting for prayers before leaving for his mother's house in Seremban.
My 500th day under ISA
1 comment:
Najib and advisors think that releasing detainees would make a difference in sentiments of the people towards BN/Umno??
Some of the detainess should not be there in the palce. BN/Umno afraid of another snap byelection huh huh.. what a day!!!
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