Hardline Muslims protest Bush's Indonesia visit

Jakarta, Nov 4: About 500 Indonesian Muslim hardliners staged a protest outside the U S embassy in Jakarta today ahead of U S President George W Bush's visit to the world's most populous Islamic nation.

Bush will visit Indonesia this month after attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Vietnam on Nov 18, his second trip to the country. The first was in 2003 when he met President Megawati Sukarnoputri and Muslim leaders in Bali.

Protesters led by the Hizbut Tahrir group and the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) shouted anti-American slogans and carried banners saying ''Bush, terrorist with a cruel face'' and ''USA, the real terrorist''.

The demonstration ended peacefully.

''We call the government and the people of Indonesia to reject Bush's visit as our rejection of every measure he has taken all over the world, especially in Muslim countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine,'' said Hizbut Tahrir's spokesman, Muhammad Ismail Yusanto.

Despite differences over Middle East policy and occasional large anti-American demonstrations in Indonesia, Jakarta and Washington have generally good relations, and the Southeast Asian nation is considered an ally in U S anti-terrorism efforts.

Bush's visit comes a year after the United States restored military ties with Indonesia as a reward for cooperation against al Qaeda-linked militants and cited reforms in the military and efforts by the government to improve its human rights record.

The vast majority of Muslims in Indonesia are relatively moderate, but a militant minority has been increasingly vocal in recent years.

REUTERS