New earthquake hits Sumatra, victims protest slow relief response

BENGKULU, Indonesia - Left destitute by one powerful quake and terrified by another, homeless Sumatrans on Thursday protested government inaction and a political rival accused Indonesia's president of heartlessness for going abroad instead of visiting the disaster zone.

Soon after a magnitude 6.2 quake struck the devastated port town of Bengkulu at dawn Thursday, about 100 people blocked a key road to its airport, using rubble from their ruined homes to make a barricade.

The latest offshore temblor caused no reported injuries or damages, but compounded residents' frustration. It came five days after a magnitude 7.9 earthquake that killed around 100 people, injured 1,900 and ruined thousands of homes.

Wielding sticks and rocks, the protesters complained the government was neglecting them even as foreign aid was pouring into the quake zone. About 30 armed police struggled to diffuse tensions as protesters scuffled with motorists.

''The government is no good. No aid has reached here yet. We need tents food and medicine,'' said Yudi, 40, one of the protesters. His 5-year-old son was injured and his home flattened in Sunday's quake.

''We are hungry, we are sick. Why doesn't the government care?'' read one protest banner.

The provincial governor promptly ordered immediate distribution of rice and noodles to the protesters, which were blocking government relief trucks from leaving for outlying areas.

The speaker of Indonesia's national parliament on Thursday visited Bengkulu, about 310 miles northwest of Indonesia's capital Jakarta, and accused President Abdurrahman Wahid of neglecting the quake victims.

Wahid left Indonesia on Wednesday night on a two-week foreign tour and has not visited the quake region.

''It's quite shameful. My president is not wise at all. Instead of coming to this miserable region he travels overseas for nothing,'' said speaker Amien Rais, a political rival of Wahid's.

Wahid flew to Japan for Thursday's memorial service for former Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi. He also was headed to the United States, Europe and the Middle East.

Hundreds of aftershocks have followed Sunday's earthquake, but life is returning to a degree of normalcy in Bengkulu. Communications to the town have been restored and most shops are open.

The United Nations resident coordinator in Jakarta reported the food situation was under control but said water supplies were short.

Foreign aid has reached remote Enggano island, about 125 miles southwest of Bengkulu, closest to the epicenter of Sunday's quake.

One Indonesian and two Dutch navy ships anchored off the island, using helicopters to deliver rice, noodles, tents and medicine.

Dutch marines started knocking down structurally unsound buildings on Enggano using sledgehammers.

Naval vessels from the Netherlands and Belgium also have anchored off Bengkulu. A half dozen nations, including the United States, have pledged assistance.

Thursday's quake was centered in a different area of ocean from Sunday's temblor and was not classified as an aftershock, the Indonesian geophysical service said.