Jakarta – Fifteen Indonesian youths burned an American flag in front of the US Embassy today and demanded that Americans be expelled from the Muslim country.

The protesters said Indonesia should close its embassy in Washington and deport Americans because of a resolution in the US Congress condemning Indonesia's human rights abuses in the former Portuguese colony of East Timor.

"As ... members of the Muslim Youth Forum, we demand that the government of Indonesia sever diplomatic relations with the home of Satans, the United States," said a statement issued by the shouting protesters.

"Ten days after making this statement, we will openly threaten all American interests in the country," they added.

The demonstrators moved on to the Indonesian Foreign Office, where the group's leader, Faizal Assagaf, met with several officials.

Repeated criticism of Indonesia in Congress has led Jakarta to cancel a warplanes deal and pull out of a US-sponsored military training program.

The government said today it plans to buy warplanes from Russia.