Insulted Hindus continue protest

JAKARTA: Hindus on the resort island of Bali on Friday demanded that a minister resign or be sacked over remarks deemed insulting to Balinese and Hindus, officials and reports said.

"They have now raised their demand, no longer demanding an apology," Bali provincial House Speaker I Ketut Sundria said.

"They now want (State Minister of Food and Horticulture) A.M. Saefuddin to resign, or if not, President (B.J.) Habibie should dismiss him," Sundria said.

Sundria told the Surya Citra Televisi station in a telephone interview that Bali Governor Dewa Made Beratha on Friday convened a meeting at his office with local government, legislature and military leaders and the heads of religious and social organizations.

The meeting was held after massive demonstrations shook several towns in the predominantly Hindu island demanding the resignation of Saefuddin on Thursday.

During Friday's talks, the representatives of religious and social organizations told the governor Saefuddin had to resign or be sacked, Sundria said.

In Denpasar, the provincial capital, about 15,000 people rallied in front of the provincial attorney general's office on Thursday to demand the minister's resignation. Similar mass demonstrations were held in four other towns in Bali -- Negara, Singaraja, Bangli and Gianyar.

Saefuddin, while commenting on his chances of beating popular politician Megawati Sukarnoputri in the race for the presidency next year, said he was confident of winning because Megawati was not Moslem but Hindu.

His comments, published by several newspapers last week, angered the Balinese who called it discriminatory.

Bali is a stronghold of Megawati, the daughter of Indonesia's first president Sukarno who has Balinese blood.

Sundria said Saefuddin's comments had "deeply hurt the Balinese people, and not only Hindus".

Saefuddin apologized last weekend, saying he had not intended to hurt the feelings of the Balinese, but the apology failed to appease the people of the island.