Prominent human rights lawyer and anti-police abuse activist P Uthayakumar will be representing Malaysia at the Third Dublin Platform for Human Rights Defenders this weekend.

He will be presenting a 11-page paper entitled: 'Fundamental Human Rights Violations Against Ethnic Minority Indians in a Nation with the Tallest Twin Towers - Malaysia'.

According to the Ireland-based organisers, Front Line, the biennial conference will be held in Dublin, Ireland and will be attended by more than a hundred 'human rights activists at risk' from more than 70 countries.

UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Human Rights Defenders, Hina Jilani and Unesco's Assistant Director-General of Social and Human Sciences Pierre San will also be speaking at the conference.

The conference will include lectures and workshops where the activists will discuss issues of impunity of human rights violators, security for human rights activists as well as economic, social and cultural rights.

Protecting activists

Front Line is an organisation dedicated to aiding activists in areas of protection, networking, training and access to the mechanisms of the UN and other regional bodies.

They also run a programme which provides for the security and lobbying needs of human rights activists. In emergency situations, the organisation also facilitates temporary relocation of the activist.

Previously, Uthayakumar claimed that he was assaulted and threatened at gunpoint by unidentified individuals who he claims are police personnel.

This led him to seek asylum overseas, which prompted the government to later guarantee his safety in urging him to return.

Uthayakumar will be the second Malaysian to attend the conference after Irene Fernandez in 2003.