The first meeting of Trade Negotiating Committee on signing a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement started in Kuala Lumpur.
The five members of the non-governmental Hindu Rights Action Forum, who were detained last December under the Internal Security Act that allows indefinite detention without trial, may not get a fair hearing in this country, the International Federation of Human Rights said.
The security measures are being intensified by the Afghan government after a fresh assessment suggested increased threat to the Indians, particularly those engaged in construction of a crucial highway from Delaram to Zaranj, sources said. The assessment of the threat was carried out by a two-member team of senior officials of the External Affairs Ministry which went to Afghanistan.
Every year, at least a million Hindus visit Batu Caves on this day, but this year the crowd seemed to be much lesser in number. Other than the boycott call by Indian activists, rumours that violence could break out also kept people away.
Five ethnic Indian leaders, detained by the Malaysian government under a draconian security law, on Monday began a hunger strike to protest their incarceration and the alleged marginalisation of the community in the multi-racial country.
In a major concession to the agitated ethnic Indian community in Malaysia, the government on Sunday declared the Hindu festival of Thaipusam a national holiday.
Malaysia's highest court on Thursday rejected on technical grounds an appeal by an ethnic Indian Hindu woman to stop her Muslim convert husband from seeking a divorce in the Islamic 'Shariah' court, while upholding the man's right to change the religion of their youngest son.
The task of monitoring has been given to Works Minister Samy Vellu, who said no temple, whether legal or illegally built, will be demolished without a thorough check and discussions with his Malaysian Indian Congress, a component of the ruling coalition.
The application for M Manoharan, a lawyer belonging to the Hindu Rights Action Force, which is spearheading protests by ethnic Indians, was rejected by the Ipoh High Court judge on the grounds that the copy of the detention order had not been certified.
The responsibility of maintaining peace and harmony in the multi-racial country did not rest on his shoulders alone but on all communities, he said.
"It is timely for the prime minister to set up a department to look into non-Muslim affairs. What we have in the prime minister's department now is a Muslim affairs department," A Rajaretnam, Secretary of the Federation of Malaysian Indian Organisation, told media persons.
Hardening his stand against anti-government protestors including the ethnic Indians, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmed Badawi on Monday said he would "sacrifice" public freedom in order to maintain national security in the country rocked by a spate of agitations.
Having "exhausted" all legal avenues and other channels against alleged marginalisation, Hindraf, spearheading the protests by ethnic Indians in Malaysia, has appealed to New Delhi to stop the "ethnic cleansing" in the Muslim-dominated nation.
Malaysia's Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan said recent investigations have revealed that the campaign group, Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), "has been actively canvassing for support and assistance from terrorist groups".
In a special gesture, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday visited cyclone-ravaged areas in Bangladesh and assured that India will extend all possible assistance to the neighbouring country in their hour of crisis.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee made these announcements in Dhaka as he handed over a fresh consignment of Indian relief material to Bangladesh's foreign adviser Iftekhar Chowdhury at the Zia International Airport soon after his arrival for a day-long visit. "India has always attached high importance to its relations with Bangladesh. We stand by Bangladesh in its efforts to rebuild the lives of those affected by the cyclone," said Mukherjee.
Malaysian police on Sunday fired teargas and water cannon to quell a protest by thousands of ethnic Indians who defied stern government warnings to stay away from a rally in support of a $4 trillion lawsuit that blames Britain for their economic woes.
Powered by the dynamic growth of India and China, East Asia has transformed dramatically and is surging ahead becoming the biggest growth story of recent times, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsein Loong said on Wednesday.
Opening the plenary on Tuesday morning, Singapore premier Lee Hsein Loong said the ASEAN leaders will strive to prevent the Myanmar issue "from obstructing efforts to deepen integration and build an ASEAN Community" after the grouping abruptly withdrew an invitation to UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari to address the summit following Yangaon's objection.
Commerce Minister Kamal Nath on Tuesday began hectic parleys with his counterparts from Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam to narrow down differences on finalising the much-awaited Asean-India Free Trade Agreement. However, the Indonesian Trade Minister Mari Pangestu said that the 10-member Asean had put the trade talks "on hold" until India came up with a more progressive way forward.
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