Insulted Hindus continue protest
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.