Indonesia temple blast protests violence against Myanmar Muslims: government
JAKARTA | Mon Aug 5, 2013 4:38am EDT
(Reuters) - A small bomb exploded at a Buddhist temple in Indonesia's capital, slightly injuring three people, in protest against violence against Rohingya Muslims in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, a government official said.
The device was detonated late on Sunday at the entrance of the Ekayana temple in West Jakarta as people were praying inside, while another bomb failed to explode, police said.
The blast caused minor damage.
Indonesian Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali said a note was found at the site saying: "We hear the screams of the Rohingya."
Thousands of Rohingyas flee Myanmar each year on rickety boats seeking refuge and jobs in Muslim-majority Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia, but the number has swelled since unrest in Myanmar last year that killed at least 167 people.
Indonesia is also a common transit point for people seeking asylum in Australia.
Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia are all members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations which last year warned that continuing violence in Myanmar could destabilize the region.
Earlier this year, a riot between Muslim and Buddhist refugees from Myanmar at an Indonesian refugee camp killed eight people. Two men were also arrested with explosives in a backpack as part of a suspected plot to bomb the Myanmar Embassy in Jakarta.
Indonesian officials vowed to intensify security at religious sites across the country as millions head to their home towns to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Muslim's holy month of Ramadan.
(Reporting by Karima Anjani; Editing by Nick Macfie)
