Jerry Norton, Jakarta – Thousands of protesters ranging from militant youths to mothers carrying babies demonstrated across Indonesia against US President George W. Bush on Sunday, a day before he visits the world's most populous Muslim country.
Indonesia is a key regional ally for the United States in its "war on terror" and looks to America for trade and investment, but many Bush administration policies, especially in the Middle East, are unpopular here.
"Punish Bush the war criminal," "Bush Master Terrorist" and "Bush shit" read posters carried by several thousand Indonesians who marched to the presidential palace in Jakarta. Several groups participated, including the militant Islamic Defenders Front (FPI).
"Essentially, we all agreed that Bush is a murderer in the eyes of Muslims across the world," FPI member Alnurdin told reporters as the protest tangled traffic on a hot and sultry day.
Separately, the Islamic-oriented Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) rallied thousands of supporters at a Jakarta mosque, with some carrying signs saying "Stop Bush Now."
Demonstrations were also reported in South Sulawesi province, Yogyakarta, and Bogor, the site of Bush's visit. The short stop will be his last in Asia before returning home from a trip that also took him to Singapore and Vietnam.
In a common protest theme, a PKS open letter to Bush said he spread terror by US military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Middle East criticism
The Indonesian government has consistently condemned US actions in those countries as well as for perceived favoritism of Israel and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is expected to raise the issues when he meets Bush on Monday afternoon in Bogor, 50 km (30 miles) south of Jakarta.
The leaders also will discuss topics from education and poverty to cooperation on anti-terrorism and fighting bird flu.
Officials on both sides have played down prospects of major new agreements. Washington is happy with what Indonesia has been doing to help track violent militants while the Bush administration has lifted restrictions on military sales that were a major irritant to Jakarta.
In recent days there have been several announcements Bush can point to as more recent evidence of good ties, including $55 million in US aid for anti-corruption and childhood immunization programs.
Those could help blunt criticism over the cost and trouble of security preparations for the visit, including building helicopter pads in a Bogor botanical garden and plans to lock down much of the town during and ahead of the visit.
The US ambassador to Indonesia, Lynn Pascoe, has said the need for security reflects the reality that "there are lots of crazy people in the world out there, (who) will do crazy things."
Indonesia has seen several deadly bomb attacks in recent years against Western targets and blamed on Islamic militants, including the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists.
Hundreds of suspected violent militants have since been arrested but some remain at large in the country of 220 million, like Malaysian national Noordin Top.
"As long as all of Noordin Top's group have not been captured of course the threat is still present," intelligence chief Syamsir Siregar told reporters on Saturday.