Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States shook the world, domestic public opinion in Indonesia, home to the world's largest Muslim population, has wavered.

While the administration of President Megawati Sukarnoputri has criticized the attacks and declared its support for the U.S.-led international effort to eradicate terrorism, the Indonesian public does not fully back the strikes.

When Megawati met U.S. President George W. Bush on Sept. 19, the two issued a joint statement condemning the attacks as ``indiscriminate, barbarous acts against innocent citizens,'' and vowed to advance the international cooperation to stamp out terrorism.

But as the United States prepared to strike back against Afghanistan's ruling Taliban regime, which harbors the suspected mastermind of the attacks, Saudi exile Osama bin Laden, anti-U.S. demonstrations flared across Indonesia.

On Sept. 25, the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI), the supreme organ for the interpretation of Islamic doctrine, released a statement directed at the United States, which was preparing to strike back at the terrorists. It said the planned attack against Afghanistan was a manifestation of hostility and hatred against Muslims as a whole. It invited Muslims worldwide to unite and take part in a jihad, or holy war, and called on Jakarta not to be flattered by the United States into supporting plans to attack Afghanistan.

Two days later, Indonesia's religion minister, Said Agil Al Munawar, severely criticized the MUI for calling on Muslims to join the fight against the United States and thereby get involved in political affairs. He said such behavior must not be tolerated.

Since then, there has been no sign of the turbulence subsiding.

Hard-line Islamic groups declared that if the United States attacked Afghanistan, they would retaliate by striking out at U.S. facilities and expelling American nationals. They also began recruiting soldiers to join the jihad.

Since mid-September, in opposition to the U.S. offensive against Afghanistan and U.S. and Israeli military action against Muslim nations, anti-U.S. demonstrations organized by Islamic student groups have taken place almost daily in major Indonesian cities such as Jakarta and Surabaya.

Concerned about this development, the Megawati administration held an unusually long Cabinet meeting on Oct. 4, where officials agreed to take strong disciplinary action against Indonesian nationals involved in radical action against foreigners or combat overseas.

The Megawati administration, whose power base comprises nationalists, wants to avoid friction with Muslims at any cost in order to maintain a stable government.

At the same time, however, the administration wants to win the trust of other nations by joining the international movement against terrorism, and it hopes to prevent terrorism stemming from the domestic separatist movement. It faces a difficult choice.

Against this backdrop, the first report that U.S. forces had begun air strikes targeting military installations in Afghanistan reached Indonesia on Oct. 7. Initial reports suggested the targets of the strikes were limited to military bases and terrorist camps. But even if there are only a handful of civilian victims, it can never be ruled out that the strikes could provoke a radical reaction from Indonesian Muslims.

The U.S. offensive intensified anti-American demonstrations within Indonesia. Some people are even demanding that Jakarta sever its diplomatic ties with Washington.

In response to these developments, Megawati felt compelled to compromise, given the state of domestic anti-U.S. public opinion. On Oct. 14, she implicitly condemned the U.S. and British attacks on terrorist targets in Afghanistan, saying no individuals, groups or even governments must be allowed to attack other countries in such a manner to search for and confine the alleged mastermind of terrorist acts.

However, it remains to be seen whether her comment will temper anti-American domestic public opinion. Although the Indonesian national assembly is maintaining a relatively moderate stance for now, it could turn against her if the U.S.-led campaign turns into a protracted war.

The Megawati administration is facing a crucial test: whether it can firmly establish its stability.

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The author is the executive director of the Center for Japanese Studies at the University of Indonesia.