Malaysia marks 1969 race riots

Malaysia marks 1969 race riots

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): Malaysia marked the 30th anniversary
of the country's worst racial riots on Thursday, and the
opposition charged the government was using fears of a recurrence
of violence to keep its stranglehold on power.

Malays and Chinese clashed on May 13, 1969 after the
opposition, led largely by Chinese, won many seats in elections
dominated by ethnic issues and which weakened the predominantly
Malay government.

Malays form the majority of Malaysia's population and Chinese
are the second largest ethnic group.

The riots were exacerbated by perceived economic disparities
between the Chinese, many of whom are traders and considered
relatively wealthy, and native Malays, most of whom are farmers.

Officials said about 200 people were killed in the clashes,
but unofficial estimates ran as high as 1,000. A state of
emergency was imposed to restore order and was only lifted in the
early 1970s.