Clinton eyes deeper Southeast Asia ties

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton welcomed yesterday Indonesia's transition to democracy and stressed Washington's desire for stronger ties with Southeast Asia to bring change in Myanmar.

Mrs Clinton's visit to the world's most populous Muslim country highlights President Barack Obama's desire to forge a better US relationship with the Islamic world, where many of the policies of former president George W. Bush's administration, including the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, were deeply unpopular.

Some hardline Islamist groups and students opposing Mrs Clinton's visit held rallies. But this leg of her Asian tour was expected to go smoothly given good government-to-government relations and Indonesian pride in the fact that Mr Obama had lived in Jakarta.

While most Indonesian Muslims are moderate, the country has a small, radical fringe.

About 100 Muslim students, some chanting "Allahu Akbar" (God is great), held a rally at Jakarta's presidential palace, some throwing shoes at a picture of Mrs Clinton.

After talks with Indonesia's foreign minister, Mrs Clinton said the two nations intended to move forward in areas ranging from climate change to security and counter-terrorism.

"It is exactly the kind of comprehensive partnership that we believe will drive both democracy and development," Mrs Clinton told a joint news conference, adding it was "no accident" Indonesia had been picked for her trip.

Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said Indonesia provided a successful development model.

"Indonesia is not only (the) country with (the) largest Muslim population but, as we have proven here, democracy, Islam and modernity can go hand in hand," the minister said.

"President Obama has a very strong constituency here in Indonesia - of course, without the right to vote," said Mr Wirajuda, when asked about a possible Obama visit to Indonesia, where he spent four years as child. Mr Wirajuda said Indonesia had shared America's "joy" at Obama's election and he wanted Mrs Clinton to go back and tell the US President "we cannot wait too long".