Indonesian President Joko Widodo has postponed his state visit to Australia this weekend after violence erupted in Jakarta on Friday following a rally demanding the city's Christian governor be jailed for insulting Islam.
One person died of an asthma attack and 250 protesters were treated after ugly clashes led to police firing tear gas on crowds outside the presidential palace in central Jakarta on Friday night.
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Protests against Jakarta governor break into chaos
Indonesian police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse hardline Muslims protesters on Friday, after tens of thousands had rallied to demand the resignation of the Christian governor of the capital, Jakarta, who they said had insulted the Koran.
Indonesia's national police spokesman Boy Rafli Amar said 100 police and security personnel were also injured, 11 of whom were admitted to hospital.
President Jokowi was due to fly in to Sydney on Sunday for a three-day visit to meet Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, the Governor General, senior ministers, Australian investors and members of the Indonesian diaspora.
President Jokowi, as he is popularly known, issued a statement after midnight on Saturday promising that a legal investigation into alleged blasphemy by Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama would be "quick and transparent".
He thanked religious leaders for Friday's mostly peaceful rally, which was attended by up to 200,000 Muslims, but said he regretted the protest had turned violent at the time of evening prayers when the masses should have dispersed.
There were also ugly scenes in north Jakarta on Friday night when tear gas was again fired after protesters attacked police and a minimarket was plundered.
Ten "provocateurs" have been detained over Friday's violence in Jakarta.
"Some Ulema or religious leaders did show they intended to hold a peace rally but some wanted to have a clash," police spokesman Mr Boy said.
"We can witness from their outfits who wanted a clash, they did not put on the Muslim attire."
Jakarta had been on tenterhooks in the lead up to the rally, as ugly anti-Chinese sentiment mushroomed throughout the country and analysts warned the demonstration could be exploited by extremists.
Former terrorist Nasir Abas, now a consultant to Indonesian police, showed a forum a photo of armed members of the Syrian-based jihadist group Jabhat Fatah al-Sham holding a sign that said: "Punish Ahok or our bullets will."
The President had been scheduled to address a joint sitting of Parliament during his three-day trip to Australia, which had been welcomed as evidence the often frosty relationship between the neighbouring countries had turned the corner.
"It is with the deepest regret that the visit of President Jokowi ... has now been postponed," the Indonesian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
It said current developments required the President to stay in Indonesia and he had called Mr Turnbull to convey this.
"The President has also tasked the Indonesian Foreign Minister to discuss with her Australian counterpart new dates for the visit in the near future."
The statement said relations between Indonesia and Australia were in the "best shape".
"It is the mutual commitment of both countries to further strengthen this important relationship. The Government of Indonesia expresses its highest appreciation to the Government of Australia for the exceptional arrangements that have been made for President Jokowi's visit."
Mr Turnbull said President Jokowi had called him to express his regret over the decision.
"I said we were sorry we would not be able to welcome him to Australia tomorrow but entirely understood the need for him to remain in Indonesia at this time," Mr Turnbull said.
"President Widodo thanked me for Australia's understanding and noted his desire to conduct the visit as soon as mutually convenient dates can be identified."
Mr Turnbull said while the decision was disappointing it would not affect the bilateral relationship.
Australia Indonesia Business Council president Debnath Guharoy said the council was disappointed the visit had been postponed but understood and supported the difficult decision the president had to make.
"We will wait for his visit as soon as possible," he said. "He is a force for good, an agent for the kind of change the bilateral relationship needs today."
Indonesia Institute president Ross Taylor said the cancelled visit would be a great disappointment for two leaders who had overseen a very strong rebuild of the bilateral relationship.
"We would expect a rescheduling of the President's visit in the near future," he said.
Friday's rally, spearheaded by the militant Islamic Defenders Front, demanded the Jakarta Governor, widely known as Ahok, be jailed for allegedly insulting the Koran.
Ahok is being investigated by police after he appeared to suggest in an edited video transcript that voters were being deceived by a verse in the Koran.
Some Islamic groups had urged voters not to re-elect Ahok on the basis of verse 51 from the fifth sura or chapter of the Koran, al-Ma'ida, which some interpret as prohibiting Muslims from living under the leadership of a non-Muslim.
Others say the scripture should be understood in its context – a time of war – and not interpreted literally.
Ahok apologised for the offence caused by his comments and insisted he was not criticising the Koranic verse but those who used it to attack him.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla, the Indonesian Police Chief Tito Karnavian, Military Commander Gatot Nurmantyo and Chief Security Minister Wiranto met with protesters late last night.
"In the meeting it was said that the legal of Basuki Tjahaja Purnama would be carried out in a firm, quick and transparent manner," President Jokowi said in his statement.
Ahok will summoned on Monday for questioning with police expected to decide within two weeks whether to proceed with the blasphemy case.