Upon release from their ISA detention, the three remaining Hindu Rights Action Force leaders' main agenda will be meeting the government to push for the implementation of the outlawed movement's 18-point demands.

isa hindraf realease candle light vigil 060409 03 Late last night, Perak state Hindraf coordinator Ramesh Periasamy, 39, told Malaysiakini that Hindraf welcomed the move to release another 13 ISA detainees including three of their leaders.

However, Ramesh was quick to add that the Indian community will only see the light at the end of the tunnel when the 18-point demands for the betterment of the Indian community is fulfilled by the government.

Ramesh said none of the 18 demands have been fulfilled to date and this issue will be raised with the three leaders upon their release today.

The realisation of their 18-point demands probably may not take off in the near future as possible police restrictions on their conditional releases are likely to put a damper on Hindraf’s aim to fulfil its vision of a better future for the Indian community.

Restrictive conditions on movement and speech were also imposed by the police on two other Hindraf leaders R Kenghadharan and V Ganabatirau who were released earlier last month.

Massive street protest

The three Hindraf leaders still in detention are P Uthayakumar, T Vasanthakumar and M Manoharan.

The five leaders were detained in December 2007 after mounting a massive street protest which saw tens of thousands of Indian Malaysians taking to the streets.

gantang by election 040409 hindraf candle light vigil kamunting isa detainees07 Ramesh said that the candlelight vigil last night outside the camp was to demand for the release of all the ISA detainees in the Kamunting Detention Camp. According to them, the release of only 13 ISA detainees, which include the three Hindraf leaders, is not good enough.

The three-night candlelight vigil which started last night at 9.15pm with about 20 Hindraf participants from Taiping and Ipoh, included the participation of an 11-year-old schoolgirl.

According to Ramesh who celebrates his birthday today, about 60 women also turned up to show support for Hindraf’s struggle at the religious function conducted earlier at the Kamunting Indian temple at about 8.30pm.

Ramesh said that the candlelight vigil is also a call for the closure of the infamous detention camp and the abolishment of the ISA and he expects a bigger crowd turnout for the candlelight vigil tonight.

gantang by election 040409 hindraf candle light vigil kamunting isa detainees03 The candlelight vigil group outside the camp shouted their support for the detainees under the watchful eyes of the detention officials inside the camp.

The group dispersed peacefully after their 20-minute protest at 9.35pm.

Meanwhile, when contacted on her mobile phone, Uthayakumar’s fiancee Indra Devi Subramaniam, 38, made an appeal to the Home Ministry to release her husband’s passport and allow him to travel to England to seek medical treatment for his heart condition.