The US on Thursday said it expected all countries to respect fundamental human rights that assure freedom of religion and expression but refused to be drawn into the ongoing row over the alleged discrimination against ethnic-Indians in Malaysia.
"I'm not familiar with any recent actions related to the status of Hindus in Malaysia. Certainly, I know that this issue is discussed in our religious freedom report," Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey said.
He noted that in many countries the issue of people being able to fully practice their religion is "a difficult question".
"And it's an issue that's on our agenda literally throughout the world. We make this an important concern, because we believe that freedom of religion like, more broadly speaking, freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, and it's one that's important for all countries to honor and respect," he added.
A Malaysian police crackdown on a Nov 25 rally banned by the government in Kuala Lumpur to protest the alleged discrimination against ethnic Indians had sparked furore in India with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressing concern and New Delhi summoning the Malaysian envoy.
Malaysia has rejected allegations levelled by ethnic-Indians and asked other countries not to meddle in its "domestic" affair.
Also 31 people who took part in the protests have been charged with attempt to murder for allegedly causing injury to a policeman. - DDNEWS
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