HINDRAF- MALAYSIA - 25November2007

HINDRAF or Hindu Rights Action Force is a coalition of 30 Hindu Non-Governmental organizations committed to the preservation of Hindu community rights and heritage in secular Malaysia. The group has led agitations against what they see as an "unofficial policy of temple demolition" and concerns about the steady encroachment of sharia-based law.

In late 2007, several prominent members of the HINDRAF, all prominent lawyers, were arrested, some on charges of sedition; following an enormous rally organised by HINDRAF in November, the charges were dismissed by the courts.


Human Rights Forum

A series of peaceful weekend forums were organized throughout Malaysia to increase the awareness of Hindu human rights by HINDRAF. A previous forum held near central Kuala Lumpur had been disrupted, according to HINDRAF with the collusion of the police. Subsequently, HINDRAF appealed directly to the Inspector General of the Malaysian Police in an attempt to ensure that their fora went off peacefully.