HINDRAF’S BRIEFING AT THE UN HEADQUARTERS IN GENEVA ON 23RD JUNE 2009

The HINDRAF Chairman, Mr Waytha Moorthy attended a meeting at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva to update the UN officials on the current position of the ethnic minority Indians in Malaysia.

At the meeting, which lasted over an hour, Mr Waytha Moorthy took the opportunity to stress on the continued plight of the marginalised ethnic Malaysian Indians and the exacerbated human rights issues, which remains unabated and unaddressed by the Malaysian government. Mr Waytha Moorthy was in particularly encouraged by the positive response from the UN officials who had requested further information on the human right violations suffered by the ethnic minority Indians in their socio-economic development in Malaysia. The UN officials indicated that they would continue to focus and monitor several issues of concern raised by Mr Waytha Moorthy. They also assured Mr.Waytha Moorthy that the information and evidence submitted by HINDRAF is of value to them and this would enable them to take the necessary proactive actions available within the working parameters and procedures of UN.

On the same day, Mr Waytha Moorthy also attended a separate meeting with the designate officer at the World Organisation against Torture (OMCT) based in Geneva.

At this meeting, Mr Waytha Moorthy highlighted the position of the five released HINDRAF officials as well as commented on the continued incidents of deaths in police custody resulted from unlawful violence and torture against detainees by police officers. The OMCT 2009 review of Malaysian’s human rights record was damming in its findings. The OMCT designate officer gave an indication that the OMCT would continue to observe the government’s poor human rights record on use of torture by state agents ie the Royal Police Force. OMCT also raised concern on the safety of Mr.Waytha Moorthy upon his inevitable return to Malaysia.

R.SHAN HINDRAF CO-ORDINATOR OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS BASED IN NEW YORK.