Malaysia: Activist detained for protesting outside UN office
Event- Country
- Malaysia
- Initial Date
- Mar 18, 2014
- Event Description
PETALING JAYA: Indian NGO, Tamilar Progressive Team (TPT) coordinator S Ariventhan was arrested by the police for demonstrating with other human rights defenders in front of the United Nations (UN) office at Bukit Damansara, today. He was however released later after the police recorded his statement. Speaking to FMT, TPT president M A Kalaimughilan said that around 30 members gathered in front of the UN office this morning to have a peaceful demonstration and hand in a memorandum which was eventually accepted by UN Security council officer Davindra Patel. Tamilar Progressive Team is a vocal NGO urging the UN to investigate the genocide involving Sri Lankan Tamilians in 2009. According to Kalaimughilan, during the demonstration his group chanted slogans to bring justice for the Tamils in Sri Lanka when the police interfered, arrested the coordinator and took him to the Jalan Travers police station. The plan to hold a demonstration was mooted yesterday at a gathering attended by around 250 members of the NGO which was held in Kuala Lumpur. Apart from holding the demonstration, the NGO urged UN to form an "Independent Investigation Commission Board' to look into the atrocious genocide done by the Sri Lankan government.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly
- Right to Protest
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Event Location
Latitude: 3.139003
Longitude: 101.686855
- Event Location
- Summary for Publications
On Tuesday 18 March 2014, Ariventhan Subramaniam, coordinator of the NGO Tamilar Progressive Team (TPT), was detained for participating in a protest outside the UN office at Bukit Damansara calling for the UN to investigate crimes committed by the Sri Lankan government against the Tamil community. Ariventhan was released shortly after his arrest.