Jakarta. Thousands of Indonesians, led by Islamist groups, held a rally near the Myanmar Embassy in Jakarta on Wednesday (06/09) to protest against the treatment of Rohingya Muslims and demand the severance of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

There have been several anti-Myanmar protests in Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur over the treatment of the roughly 1.1 million Rohingya in the Buddhist-majority country.

Roads were blocked and barbed wire barriers put up around the embassy, located in Menteng, Central Jakarta, which was patrolled by police in riot gear who set up water cannons.

Some protesters chanted "Allahu Akbar" ("God is the greatest"), while others shouted slogans such as "Slaughter Myanmar" and "Burn the embassy."

Using a loud-hailer, one speaker told the crowd that Buddhists should respect Muslims in Myanmar in the same way Muslims respect Buddhists in Indonesia.

Almost 125,000 Rohingya Muslims have been forced to flee clashes between Rohingya insurgents and the army in Myanmar's northwestern state of Rakhine. Tens of thousands have crossed the border into neighboring Bangladesh.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi met Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and top security officials this week to urge a halt to the bloodshed. Retno also visited Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, on Tuesday to offer help in tackling the crisis.

Some protesters at the Jakarta rally called for the expulsion of Myanmar Ambassador U Aung Htoo over the issue, as well as for diplomatic ties between the two countries to be severed.

However, Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said the Myanmar Embassy staff would be safe.

"It is the responsibility of the host country to ensure the safety of all diplomatic missions and their personnel," he said. "Indonesia takes this responsibility seriously."

A petrol bomb was thrown at the embassy over the weekend, causing a small fire.

National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian has also pledged to bar Islamist groups from staging a rally at Borobudur Temple in Central Java on Friday to protest against the treatment of the Rohingya.

Reuters