By Liau Y-Sing
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian police used water cannonand tear gas on Saturday to break up an anti-government protestby ethnic Indians carrying roses to symbolize a peaceful demandfor justice.
With the Malaysian government concerned about streetprotests in the run-up to early general elections on March 8,around 100 policemen, including riot police with helmets andshields, turned out to disperse a gathering of about 300 men,women and children.
Nine protesters were arrested, state-run Bernama newsagency quoted a police spokesman as saying. The rally'sorganizer had earlier said 20 were arrested.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's ruling coalition iswidely expected to retain power at the polls, although with areduced majority, but many Indians accuse his multi-racialcoalition, dominated by ethnic Malays, of racialdiscrimination.
The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hinraf) first announced theprotest in January as a way to press its demand for the releaseof five of its leaders jailed under tough internal securitylaws.
The Malaysian government detained the men without trialsoon after more than 10,000 ethnic Indians marched in thecapital last November to complain about a lack of job andeducation opportunities, in response to a call from the group.
"I want the five to be released," said Parvathy Raman, a30-year-old accounts executive from Kuala Lumpur, who joinedthe protest. "I want the government to hear our problems.Everyone knows there is discrimination, but the governmentdenies it."
Children as young as 10 were among the demonstrators atSaturday's protest, where some people carried yellow and redroses, while chanting slogans such as "We love Badawi". Otherswore orange T-shirts printed with the slogan "People Power".
The protesters aimed to march to the Malaysian parliamentto give the roses to Abdullah, but were halted by police ashort distance away after being refused a permit to assemble inpublic.
The red roses symbolized love and peace, while the yellowroses symbolized the group's demand for justice and the releaseof the jailed men, Hindraf said.
"We want our rights and justice," said one demonstrator,Tamilarasu, 21, a casual labourer at a golf resort who rode abus for several hours from his home on the northern island ofPenang to attend the protest in the capital. "We're not happywith the government."
Police helicopters hovered overhead as protesters waved theMalaysian flag, portraits of the Malaysian king, and orangebanners that read, "We want our rights, No to the InternalSecurity Act".
Protesters defied police orders to disperse, but scatteredwhen sprayed with tear gas and water laced with chemicals.
(Reporting by Liau Y-Sing; Writing by Clarence Fernandez;Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
