Anti-Bush protests flare in Indonesia before visit

Protesters march through the streets during a rally against President Bush's planned visit, in Medan, North Sumatra province, November 17, 2006.

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Anti-Bush protests flared in parts of Indonesia on Friday ahead of a visit by the U.S. president as the government told demonstrators to keep their actions civil.

George W. Bush meets President Susilo Bambang Yudhyono on Monday in Bogor, 50 km (30 miles) south of Jakarta.

Carrying banners saying "Go to hell, George Bush" and "Bush, terrorist king", more than 500 students yelled slogans near the Bogor talks venue.

Health and education issues top the agenda. Bush is also likely to urge Indonesia to remain a key partner in anti-terrorism efforts in the region.

Groups ranging from radical Muslims to anti-globalization campaigners have rallied in several cities criticizing Bush, Yudhoyono and U.S. policies on the Middle East.

While frequent and widespread, most demonstrations have been small, seldom exceeding 100.

The Indonesian government has told demonstrators to behave but says protests are inevitable.

"If President Bush goes to Bogor and there is no demonstration, that would be weird," foreign affairs spokesman Desra Percaya said in a weekly briefing on Friday.

He added that Yudhoyono would raise the issue of achieving an independent Palestinian state.

Public opinion in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, overwhelmingly favors the Palestinians in their disputes with Israel, with which Jakarta has no diplomatic ties.

Protests of tens of thousands are common whenever a large number of Palestinians are killed in Israeli military operations, and the issue has sometimes been cited as a reason for deadly bomb attacks against Western-linked targets in Indonesia.

(Additional reporting by Muhammad Azhari in JAKARTA and Supriyatin in BOGOR)