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Protests in Indonesia over Israeli action

P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE: Thousands of Indonesian protesters held rallies in Jakarta and some other major cities on Sunday to denounce the U.S. for supporting Israel in its military offensive in Lebanon.

The main show of popular anger, organised near the U.S. embassy in Jakarta, passed off peacefully. The event was also portrayed by the organisers as an inter-religious show of solidarity in the world's largest majority-Muslim nation.

The demonstrations attracted much attention across Southeast Asia, in the wake of the pledges by some Islamic organisations to send "jihad volunteers" to Israel and other countries friendly to it. Authorities cautioned these groups against any such moves.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has made his country's position clear under the overall banner of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC). Mr. Yudhoyono said the organisation should be allowed to set the terms of reference and rules of engagement for any peace-keeping force. Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, OIC Chairman, said the U.N. should seize the initiative, under a "Uniting for Peace" framework, if the Security Council were to fail to act.

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