Malaysia Hindu Activists Arrested At The Festival

Nine activists were arrested in Malaysia, in a colorful Hindu festival on Thursday, the protest against the textbook, which they said was a racially sensitive to the ethnic Indian minority.

The nine, mostly from a group called Human Rights Party, had gathered at the Batu Caves temple on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur as Hindu devotees more than a million converging there to mark the annual Thaipusam festival.

The group urged the government to withdraw a book in Malay language, "Interlok" containing a reference to the caste system which they said offensive to the ethnic Indian community.

The book has become required reading for high school students.

"When we distributed a statement at the hearing, the police intervened to stop us before we can hold our press conference," organizer S. Jayathe AFP from police custody.

"We hope that the book should be withdrawn, because we think it is not to create national unity, but it creates hatred," he said, adding that he and other activists were beaten in arrest.

The local police district chief, Abdul Rahim Abdullah, told AFP that the arrests, saying that the nine were arrested for "obstructing the police in carrying out their duty." He said he will be in prison until Friday to be interviewed.

Interlok, a book written by a national award winner, covering the history of relations between Malaysia's three main ethnic groups - Malays, Chinese and Indians - from 1900-century until independence in 1957.

Government, which established a panel to review a book the following claims Malaysian Indian Congress Party - the coalition - have not yet decided whether it will pick up the list of reading books.

The arrests are the huge crowd of devotees and tourists flocked to the temple Batu Caves, a spectacular limestone cave and the core of the festival of Thaipusam three days of thanksgiving and penance.

Devotees do penance by carrying heavy and ornate structures called kavadis while walking barefoot up to 272 steps of Batu Caves temple, while others have the tongue, cheeks and hooks on the back and spiked punch.

Thaipusam celebrates the day when the Hindu goddess Pavarthi gave her son Lord Muruga an invincible spear with which he destroyed the demons of evil.

The festival is also celebrated in several other parts of the Muslim-majority Malaysia. Ethnic Indians, most of whom are Hindus but also Christians, Sikhs make up less than 10 percent of Malaysia's 28 million inhabitants.