(repeating with corrections in last paragraph)

Chennai, Nov 27 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today sought the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to end the bad treatment being meted out to Tamils in Malaysia where 240 ethnic Indians had been detained.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, he expressed concern over the treatment meted out to Tamils by the Malaysian government during a protest rally in Kuala Lumpur on November 25 against the marginalisation of ethnic Indian minority there.

''The people of Tamil Nadu are disturbed over the happenings in Kuala Lumpur. I wish to convey the concern and worry of the Tamils in the treatment being meted out to their brethren in Malaysia for a very long time'', Mr Karunanidhi said and urged the Prime Minister to take immediate and appropriate action to end the sufferings of the Malaysian Tamils.

Mr Karunanidhi said Tamils constitute the largest percentage among the Indian minority in Malaysia. The protestors were carrying poster-size pictures of Mahatma Gandhi and the rally was organised for equal rights.

He said the Malaysian police had used water cannons and tear-gas to crush the demonstration and disperse the rallyists. The Malaysian police had also detained 240 ethnic Indians.

UNI