Protests resume against air strikes on Afghanistan

Ainur R. Sophiaan and Kartika Bagus, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya/Surakarta

SURABAYA: Major protests against the U.S. strikes on Afghanistan following the Sept. 11 tragedy in New York and Washington took place again on Friday after several days of respite.

Around 5,000 Muslims protested in Surabaya and hundreds of others in Surakarta, Central Java, demanding that the air strikes against Afghanistan be stopped.

In Surabaya the protesters, mostly members of the Justice Party (PK), started the rally at Bungkul Park near Al-Falah Mosque after Friday prayers.

Chanting "Allahu Akbar (God is great)" and carrying anti-U.S. posters and banners, they later flocked to the province's gubernatorial office.

"Stop war, save Afghanistan, save (the) Palestine(s)," read one banner.

M. Rofi' Munawwar, the East Java PK chairman who participated in the rally, said that the air strikes had killed many innocent Afghans.

"The attacks show that the U.S. has failed in everything. There is no other choice except to halt the strikes," he said sternly.

The protesters dispersed peacefully after two hours of speeches held during the rally.

In Surakarta, PK supporters demanded that U.S. President George W. Bush be taken to an international tribunal to be tried as a war criminal over the attacks.

They also urged Jakarta to cut ties with Washington.

"(President) Megawati (Soekarnoputri) should take a firm stance against the U.S. by reconsidering diplomatic relations between the two countries," Seno Margo Utomo, a local PK leader, told the crowd in a speech.

In Jakarta, Vice President Hamzah Haz again appealed to Indonesians on Friday to stop street demonstrations against the conflict in Afghanistan, otherwise it could harm national interests.

He instead urged Indonesia to help Afghanistan by extending humanitarian aid to victims of the conflict there. "It is our obligation to help Afghanistan because it is a Muslim country," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

Speaking after performing Friday prayers with hundreds of Muslims at Jami' Al Makmur Mosque in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, Hamzah said the assistance could include medicine, clothes, food and blood.

The Indonesian government, he said, had given Rp 1.5 billion worth of humanitarian aid to the Afghans when Coordinating Minister for Social Welfare Jusuf Kalla recently visited the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Hamzah said Jakarta had issued a strong call for an end to the assault on Afghanistan before the holy fasting month of Ramadhan started in mid-November.

"The demand of the Muslim people here has been echoed by the government. Now, we need to look to the future," he said.