SOAS

Tamil Soc. will be hosting Mr P. Waythamoorthy and Mr Suresh Grover

who will be speaking on:

The marginalisation of Malaysias minority Indian community.

Time: 19:00-21:30 Date: Tuesday 7th February 2012 Location: Khalili Lecture Theatre (KLT), SOAS

Location:

Khalili Lecture Theatre ( KLT - main building) School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London Thornhaugh Street Russell Square London WC1H 0XG

How to get there, nearest tube stations: Russell Square (3mins), Goodge Street (10mins), Euston (10mins), Kings Cross St.Pancras (15mins), Tottenham Court Road (15mins)

Waytha Moorthy

Waytha Moorthy is the Chair of Hindraf, a grass root movement for the marginalised Malaysian Indian community. He began his career as a Litigation lawyer. Much of Moorthys work involved public interest litigations such as arbitrary arrests of individuals, unlawful deaths of detainees in police custody, extra judicial killings; individuals denied of citizenship status in Malaysia, individuals forced to accept the Islam religion, represent Hindu temple and devotees faced with demolition of their places of worships, displaced plantation workers denied of government compensation. His experience on the above matters prompted him to form a non-governmental organisation in 2005 and thus Hindu Rights Action Force commonly known as HINDRAF was formed. He was the first to highlight the rights of nonMuslims and Indians in the international arena. He has presented at various conferences and at the US Congress, UK Parliament, EU and UN. In 2007, over 100,000 people joined HINDRAF in a peaceful public march to highlight the plight of the marginalised Indian community. His International passport was revoked by the Malaysian authorities whilst he was attending a meeting at the UN office in Geneva. He currently lives in exile after the UK Government granted him political asylum in 2008. He is the only Malaysian leader who is forced to live in exile.

Suresh Grover

has been active in the Civil Rights field for over 30 years, and is the Chairperson of the National Civil Rights Movement. The Guardian Newspaper described him as one of the hundred most influential people in Social Policy in the UK. He is the leading exponent of family and community led campaigns having coordinated the campaigns on Stephen Lawrence, Zahid Mubarek and Victoria Climbie all these cases led to Public Judicial Inquiries and consequent positive changes in legislation, social policy and practices in the United Kingdom (UK). He is currently the Director of The Monitoring Group. (UK). Established in the early 1980s, the organization is acknowledged as a leading civil rights organistion that provides advocacy, campaigning, casework, trauma and strategy led services. The Group works towards the eradication of racism, bigotry and religious hatred and their adverse impact on victims and their communities. It is committed to a pluralistic society where human rights are paramount and where cultural, social and political diversity is promoted and valued.