Indonesians took to the street Thursday to protest Bush's upcoming visit. (Reuters).

JAKARTA — Indonesian people and scholars were united Thursday, November 9, in declaring embattled US President George Bush, expected to the world's most populous country on November 20, a persona non grata.

"We are aware of the tradition that guests should be honored and welcomed," Ma'ruf Amin, deputy chairman of the Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI), said in a statement cited by Reuters.

"But we would prefer if the government did not invite people who have hurt Muslims around the world."

Bush will visit Indonesia on November 20 on a brief stopover after attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Vietnam.

He is due to meet President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the summer palace in Bogor, located inside the Bogor Botanical Gardens, south of the capital.

Outraged by Bush's invasion of two Muslim countries, Iraq and Afghanistan, during his six years in office, thousands of Indonesians took to the streets Thursday to protest his visit.

Large posters of the American leader were burned during a protest rally in Makassar, south Sulawesi province.

The Muslim scholars said the people's opposition to the Bush visit was understandable.

"The resentment is natural, given Bush's actions, such as the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan and his support for Israel which has killed Palestinians and Lebanese."

Indonesia is the world's most populous country with Muslims marking about 85 percent of its 220 million people.

Bush and his Republican party have paid dearly for the unpopular Iraq war in the mid-term elections on November 9, loosing control over the two houses of Congress.

An international poll in America's major allies has said on November 3 that voters see president Bush as a great danger to world peace and the US policies have made the world less safe.

High Cost

Building a helipad for Bush at the historic Botanical Gardens has drawn criticism from the opposition.

Indonesia's media and opposition have blasted the government for the visit costly preparations.

The construction of a helipad in the historic Botanical Gardens, built in 1817, for Bush's plane would land has been vehemently criticized.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) stressed that using the gardens as a landing place for helicopters would hurt the fragile environment.

"This means the (Indonesian) president is sacrificing environmental conservation for the sake of political interests," the country's largest opposition party has said in a statement.

Around 18,000 security personnel will be deployed during the trip and mobile phone networks will be disabled for several hours as part of the security clampdown.

"We are making extraordinary preparations for the visit," Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Zainal Maarif has said.

He expressed disappointment that all schools in Bogor would have to be closed for the visit.

"The visit is only for the sake of US interests."