Chemical-laced water sprayed on crowd in brickfields - Malaysiakini

Police sprayed chemical-laced water into a crowd of about 300 people who had come to the Bricksfields police station to lodge a report against the alleged mistreatment of detained Hindraf leader P. Uthayakumar.

Police have arrested 17 people, (according to latest report) including Kapar MP S Manikavasagam and Police Watch and Human Rights Committee coordinator S Jayathas.

Malaysiakini has the report:

Chaos broke out at the Brickfields police station this morning as the police sprayed chemical-laced water into about 300 supporters of detained Hindraf leader P Uthayakumar.

The Hindraf leader's supporters were demanding proper medical treatment for Uthayakumar.

Police arrested 12, including Kapar MP S Manikavasagam and Police Watch and Human Rights Committee coordinator S Jayathas.

Puchong MP and DAP leader Gobind Singh Deo was also present at the police station to show support.

However, at 12.45pm the crowd had dispersed, leaving only the police and some press at the scene.

The situation turned chaotic when the crowd was believed to have turned up to lodge “hundreds” of police reports against the authorities for alleged mistreatment of Uthayakumar.

This also came a week after Kapar MP S Manikavasagam had given a seven-day ultimatum to the police to give proper treatment to Uthayakumar, or else “hundreds” of police reports against the authorities would be lodged.

Previously, Uthayakumar’s friends and supporters had also warned that the authorities would face street demonstrations should he not be given proper
medical attention.

“If anything happens to Uthayakumar, the Malaysian Indians won’t keep quiet. We will fight (for his treatment),” Kapar MP S Manikavasagam told a press conference in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur last week.

Uthayakumar, a diabetic, has broken several toes on his left foot on Jan 31 while in the Kamunting detention camp.

Read Bernama report here
Picture: Riot police using water cannons on a group of protesters outside the Brickfields police station in Kuala Lumpur. - AFP Picture