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The local constabulary in Hertfordshire, England recently arrested veteran human rights campaigner, Dr Mark Ponnmpalam of the United Kingdom Council for Human Rights (UKCHR)

Hostile and unknown elements attacked the Doctor at his home; and neighbours and friends of Dr Ponnmpalam hearing him shout for help contacted the police. The police when they arrived instead of arresting the attackers arrested Dr Mark and charged him with disturbing the peace.

Dr Ponnmpalam has a distinguised record of human rights work, which includes defending citizens including disabled people against police harassment.

Dr Ponnmpalam said " I have been through the second world war and the Malayan revolution and never has my house been broken into and I have never suffered such violence, I have been victimised for my human rights work in the United Kingdom; this episode is intended to be a warning for other human rights workers in Britain. The peculiar attitude of the police in this incident clearly shows that the establishment could do without organisations such as the UKHCR which has consistently over many years sought to obtain justice for the oppressed."

Dr Mark Ponnmpalam, M.B.B.S Lond F.R.C.S. Eng F.R.C.S. Edin F.R.C.S Can, F.l.C.S is one of the nations leading surgeons. A well known Historian and author Dr Ponnmpalam has written many books on the subject of individual civil rights. He is recognised as one of Britain's principal human rights campaigner, Dr Ponnmpalam is the President of the United Kingdom Commission for Human Rights (UKHCR) an organisation he founded and which has taken up and campaigned against human rights abuse successfully fighting cases which were thought by similar organisations in Britain to be hopeless.

Dr Mark drafted the rebuttal on behalf of British human rights campaigners to the mandatory five year government report on human rights presented to the United Nations 1990. In his rebuttal Dr Mark argued for a bill of rights and a written constitution. The rebuttal is available form the UKHCR.

Recent support was given to the much publicised case of a popular East End general practitioner whose case came up before the GMC in July. It was primarily due to the efforts of Dr Mark who was responsible for focusing publicity on the case and advising on its defence that Dr BB Choudary was cleared of professional misconduct. Dr Mark works amongst the Asian poor in the East End where he stood in the local government elections as a protest candidate against local government corruption.

Malayan born Dr Ponnmpalam comes from a family of eight doctors he is the son of the well known Dr John Ponnmpalam who led the opposition against colonial underdevelopment in Malaya. Messages of support after the violent incident at his home have flooded in from all over the world from friends and other human rights organisations. The UKHR will be organising a protest march in support of Dr Ponnmpalam after a extraordinary general body meeting of the organisation to be held later this month.