Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09KUALALUMPUR486
2009-06-16 09:12:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Cable title:
IRANIANS IN MALAYSIA PROTEST ELECTION RESULTS
how-toVZCZCXRO0290 PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH DE RUEHKL #0486 1670912 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 160912Z JUN 09 ZDK FM AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2867 INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 2788 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0635 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
UNCLAS KUALA LUMPUR 000486
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
FOR EAP/MTS AND INR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM IR MY
SUBJECT: IRANIANS IN MALAYSIA PROTEST ELECTION RESULTS
UNCLAS KUALA LUMPUR 000486
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
FOR EAP/MTS AND INR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM IR MY
SUBJECT: IRANIANS IN MALAYSIA PROTEST ELECTION RESULTS
1. (SBU) Summary and Comment: Some 500 Iranians gathered in
front of the UN offices in Kuala Lumpur on June 15 and
demonstrated against the election results in Iran. Police
fired tear gas to disperse the demonstrators, who consisted
primarily of students. We have no reports of further protest
actions. The Iranian student and expatriate community has
been growing rapidly in Malaysia over recent years. The June
15 demonstration was the first significant protest by
Iranians in Malaysia against their own government. End
Summary and Comment.
2. (U) Malaysian police fired tear gas at a protest by
approximately 500-700 Iranians in Kuala Lumpur on June 15,
according to local and international news reports. The
protesters, mostly students from an estimated 9,000 Iranian
expatriates in Malaysia, gathered at the United Nations
building to pass an official memorandum of protest to a UN
representative. The memorandum reportedly expressed
disapproval with the tainted outcome of the June 12 Iranian
presidential elections.
3. (SBU) There were conflicting reports as to the level of
activity among the protesters that prompted the police to
fire tear gas. According to the government-influenced
newspapers, the police only fired after warning the
protesters several times to disperse. A senior police
official on the scene stated, "they refused to disperse and
we were forced to fire several rounds of tear gas." However,
according to a Reuters photographer who was at the scene, the
protesters were already leaving the UN building when the
police fired the tear gas. There were no reported injuries.
4. (U) The Youth Wing of the opposition Peoples Justice
Party (PKR) condemned the police action in firing tear gas
against the Iranian protesters as "excessive," according to a
June 16 press report.
5. (SBU) Post has no reports of any further planned
demonstrations by Iranian expatriates. A small detachment of
police remained on stand-by at the Iranian embassy on June
16. The Iranian embassy is located approximately 600 meters
for the U.S. Embassy.
RAPSON
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
FOR EAP/MTS AND INR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM IR MY
SUBJECT: IRANIANS IN MALAYSIA PROTEST ELECTION RESULTS
1. (SBU) Summary and Comment: Some 500 Iranians gathered in
front of the UN offices in Kuala Lumpur on June 15 and
demonstrated against the election results in Iran. Police
fired tear gas to disperse the demonstrators, who consisted
primarily of students. We have no reports of further protest
actions. The Iranian student and expatriate community has
been growing rapidly in Malaysia over recent years. The June
15 demonstration was the first significant protest by
Iranians in Malaysia against their own government. End
Summary and Comment.
2. (U) Malaysian police fired tear gas at a protest by
approximately 500-700 Iranians in Kuala Lumpur on June 15,
according to local and international news reports. The
protesters, mostly students from an estimated 9,000 Iranian
expatriates in Malaysia, gathered at the United Nations
building to pass an official memorandum of protest to a UN
representative. The memorandum reportedly expressed
disapproval with the tainted outcome of the June 12 Iranian
presidential elections.
3. (SBU) There were conflicting reports as to the level of
activity among the protesters that prompted the police to
fire tear gas. According to the government-influenced
newspapers, the police only fired after warning the
protesters several times to disperse. A senior police
official on the scene stated, "they refused to disperse and
we were forced to fire several rounds of tear gas." However,
according to a Reuters photographer who was at the scene, the
protesters were already leaving the UN building when the
police fired the tear gas. There were no reported injuries.
4. (U) The Youth Wing of the opposition Peoples Justice
Party (PKR) condemned the police action in firing tear gas
against the Iranian protesters as "excessive," according to a
June 16 press report.
5. (SBU) Post has no reports of any further planned
demonstrations by Iranian expatriates. A small detachment of
police remained on stand-by at the Iranian embassy on June
16. The Iranian embassy is located approximately 600 meters
for the U.S. Embassy.
RAPSON