Protesters target Embassy of India<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Some 60 Moslem students staged a protest outside
\nthe Indian embassy yesterday, denouncing the country's stance on
\nthe disputed-land of Kashmir Valley.<\/p>\n
Calling themselves the Communication Forum for Moslem Youths,
\nthe students condemned the recent "assault" by Indian troops
\nwhich left 35 Kashmiri Moslem dead and an Islamic shrine
\ndestroyed.<\/p>\n
Chanting Allahu Akbar (God is great), the students called on
\nthe United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Conference to
\nintervene and ensure freedom for Kashmiri Moslems.<\/p>\n
The students demanded that they be allowed into the embassy to
\ndeliver their petition. After two hours of shouting and arguing
\nwith embassy officials the students were allowed in.<\/p>\n
Komaruddin, who organized the protest, said their condemnation
\nof the clash and the fire that destroyed the mosque in Srinagar,
\nwere rejected by the embassy officials.<\/p>\n
Instead, the officials charged Pakistani terrorist were behind
\nthe incident.<\/p>\n
"It's impossible," Komaruddin said. "The Pakistanis are
\nMoslems, there's no way a Moslem would want to burn down a
\nmosque."<\/p>\n
Komaruddin quoted the embassy's official as saying that the
\npredominantly-Hindu Indian government, however, has agreed to
\n"rebuild the mosque and set a budget of around Rp 9 billion
\n(approximately US$4 million) for the purpose".<\/p>\n
The clash and the burning of the mosque took place on May 10,
\nwhich coincided with the celebration of the Islamic Day of
\nSacrifice.<\/p>\n
The Indian government has said that the mosque had been burned
\ndown by "hired agents" of Pakistan. Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha
\nRao accused "foreign mercenaries" of setting fire to the mosque
\nin the town of Charar-i-Sharief.<\/p>\n
India has a Moslem population of 120 million.<\/p>\n
The Indian authorities have repeatedly charged that many of
\nthe dozens of Moslem separatist militants who had been holed up
\nin Charar-i-Sharief for two months were from Pakistan or
\nAfghanistan.<\/p>\n
During the demonstration yesterday, the students waved
\nplacards and unfurled banners. Some of them read "Here, we don't
\nabuse the rights of the minority", "Indonesia supports Kashmiri
\nMoslems" and "India, set Kashmir free".<\/p>\n
The three-hour protest, which temporarily disrupted traffic at
\nthe Rasuna Said thoroughfare, ended peacefully with the students
\nhanding their placards to security personnel and cleaning up the
\nlitter they discarded while protesting. (swe)<\/p>",
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