INDONESIA: More than 1,000 Muslims demonstrate outside Myanmar's embassy in Jakarta to protest at the treatment of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar

Record ID: 213967

  • Title: INDONESIA: More than 1,000 Muslims demonstrate outside Myanmar's embassy in Jakarta to protest at the treatment of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar
  • Date: 3rd May 2013
  • Summary: JAKARTA, INDONESIA (MAY 3, 2013) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF MYANMAR EMBASSY EMBASSY'S GATE POLICE FORCES GATHERING VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS GATHERING OUTSIDE EMBASSY PROTESTER HOLDING BANNER READING "EXCHANGE ROHINGYA MUSLIMS WITH INDONESIAN BUDDHISTS" FLAGS LEADER FROM ISLAMIC DEFENDERS FRONT HABIB RIZIQ SHIHAB ADDRESSING CROWD POSTER READING "INDONESIAN MUSLIMS READY FOR JIHAD IN BURMA" PROTESTER WEARING MASK PROTESTERS LISTEN TO SPEECH ** AUDIO AS INCOMING *** (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) LEADER FROM ISLAMIC DEFENDERS FRONT, HABIB RIZIQ SHIHAB, SAYING: "We call on the Burmese government to cancel the laws that revoke Rohingya's citizenship because it could trigger genocide; this is not only an internal conflict. This law could trigger Muslim genocide in Myanmar." SHIHAB WITH JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) LEADER THE ISLAMIC DEFENDERS FRONT, HABIB RIZIQ SHIHAB, SAYING: "If the ambassador closes the door for dialogue, we will bring more people to protest. We will not stop the angry protesters from attacking the embassy, or burn it or they could even kill the ambassador, so please open the door for dialogue." POLICE HELMETS AND FLAGS FLAGS POLICEWOMEN STANDING IN LINE POLICEWOMEN STANDING POLICE FACING PROTESTERS PROTESTERS HOLDING BANNER READING "STOP ROHINGYA GENOCIDE" A WOMAN WEARING HIJAB PROTESTERS GATHERING AT JAKARTA'S MAIN ROUNDABOUT
  • Embargoed: 18th May 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Indonesia
  • Country: Indonesia
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA3V13TDUWI8OI7UF40QVYP8KIC
  • Story Text: More than 1,000 Muslim protesters rallied outside Myanmar's embassy in Jakarta on Friday (May 3) to show their support to Rohingya Muslims, an ethnic minority group which has been the victim of violence in Myanmar's western Rakhine State.
    The demonstration followed the arrest on Thursday (May 2) night of two men who had planned to attack the embassy in protest at the treatment of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. Indonesia police said on Friday they had foiled the attack and seized explosives.
    Tensions between Buddhists and Muslims is high in Myanmar after a fresh outbreak of sectarian violence this week in which one man was killed after Buddhist mobs trashed property owned by Muslims following a minor street incident.
    The latest wave of sectarian violence erupted in March in the central town of Meikhtila, causing 44 deaths and displacing an estimated 13,000 people, most of them Muslims.
    The leader of hard-line group The Islamic Defenders Front, Riziq Shihab, warned the violence could spread to Indonesia.
    "We call on the Burmese government to cancel the laws that revoke Rohingya's citizenship because it could trigger genocide; this is not only an internal conflict. This law could trigger Muslim genocide in Myanmar," Shihab said.
    Protesters demanded to meet Myanmar's ambassador U Min Lewin, but embassy staff told them he was out of town.
    "If the ambassador closes the door for dialogue, we will bring more people to protest. We will not stop the angry protesters from attacking the embassy, or burn it or they could even kill the ambassador, so please open the door for dialogue," Shihab said.
    Sectarian clashes between Buddhists and Muslims, who make up about 5 percent of Myanmar's population, have erupted on several occasions since a quasi-civilian government took power in March 2011 after five decades of brutal military dictatorship.
    The most serious attacks took place in Rakhine State in the west in June and October last year, when Buddhists fought against Rohingya Muslims, who are denied citizenship by Myanmar and seen by many in the country as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. At least 192 people were killed.
    Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono urged Myanmar's leaders to address Buddhist-led violence against Muslims last month, saying it could cause problems for Muslims elsewhere in the region.
    Indonesia is the world's fourth most populous country, about 85 percent of who follow Islam. While the vast majority of Indonesia's Muslims are relatively moderate, a militant minority has become increasingly vocal.
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