Third day of anti-US protests in Indonesia

Police fired tear gas to stop 300 Islamic students entering the grounds of Indonesia’s Parliament during an anti-US protest today, witnesses said.

It was the third consecutive day of demonstrations in the world’s most populous Muslim nation against US-led strikes in Afghanistan. There were no immediate reports of serious injuries.

The anti-US protest began when Islamic students marched on the US embassy and burned the Stars and Stripes outside Jakarta’s UN building.

The demonstrators, mainly women college students wearing Islamic headscarves, demanded that Indonesia freeze diplomatic ties with Washington over US-led attacks against Afghanistan.

‘‘The Muslim world must condemn the US terrorists,’’ the demonstrators said in a statement.

Yesterday, police used tear gas, warning shots and water cannons to disperse protesters outside the embassy.

The diplomatic mission, fortified with rows of razor wire, remained closed even though Indonesian security forces had increased their defences. Two water cannons were moved into place as the protesters arrived today.

Police armed with rifles were deployed near the British Embassy, which is located on Jakarta’s main traffic circle.

About 300 students also protested peacefully in the city of Makassar on the island of Sulawesi.

Nearly 85% of Indonesia’s 210 million people are Muslim. Some fringe Islamic groups have threatened to round up and expel Americans and other Westerners and have demanded that Indonesia oppose US military action in Afghanistan.

Anti-US sentiment is also on the rise in the nation’s media.

‘‘Coffins being prepared for Americans,’’ said the headline in Raykat Merdeka, a popular newspaper.

The respected Kompas daily also questioned the wisdom of military retaliation.

‘‘The US. attacks are a combination of pride, absurdity and high risk,’’ an editorial said.

President Megawati Sukarnoputri has not publicly commented on the strikes.

Immediately after the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, she visited the US and told President George W Bush that her country would join his fight against terrorism.

But since then her government has called on the US to show restraint.

Acting foreign minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said today that Indonesia would not criticise the US, although it remained concerned about the bombing in Afghanistan.

‘‘We are using the word ‘concern’. We are not using the word ‘regret’, and especially not ‘condemn’,’’ he said after a meeting with Megawati.

Fearing a backlash that could scare away foreign investors, the government, which depends on the support of Muslim political parties in parliament, has vowed to protect foreign interests.

It is trying to balance Muslim concerns about the attacks against the country’s need for good relations with the West as it struggles to overcome a deep economic crisis and political instability.