Families visit Hindraf 5 at Kamunting

About 30 relatives were able to meet five leaders of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) this morning at the Kamunting detention camp, where they are being detained for two years under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

Hindraf legal adviser P Uthayakumar, lawyers M Manoharan, R Kenghadharan and V Ganabatirau and organising secretary T Vasantha Kumar were arrested yesterday afternoon and immediately sent to the camp in Taiping, Perak.

Family members rushed in a convoy from Kuala Lumpur this morning to visit them.

Officers set up two tables in a room where the detainees were brought out two at a time to meet between five to six family members each.

Manoharan’s family members were the first to enter the visitation room.

“He said he was okay,” said a close friend of the family who also got a glimpse of him.

Lawyers were also allowed in, including N Surendran who had accompanied family members of Uthayakumar and Ganabatirau during the simultaneous visits.

“They are in very high spirits and determined to last it out,” he said when contacted.

He added that the five, who had arrived at the detention camp about midnight, appeared to be in good health.

A close relative of Uthayakumar told Malaysiakini that a handful of Hindraf supporters had gathered in front of the detention camp.

“We’re not asking anyone to gather here. Instead, we have encouraged them to continue their prayers for the safety and well being of the detainees,” she said.

Immediate visits upon detention under ISA are a departure from procedure.. Typically, family members are only allowed to visit detainees after two months of detention.