JAKARTA

The central government ordered Indonesians on Monday to leave strife-torn Egypt and promised to dispatch military aircraft to bring them home.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ordered the evacuation due to the deteriorating security situation in the Arab country, where a popular uprising is threatening the regime.

“As the situation is worsening, I ordered an evacuation by air of our citizens back to our country,” he told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

More than 6,000 Indonesians are believed to reside in Egypt.

Meanwhile 200 people rallied at Jakarta’s central traffic circle in support of Egypt’s democracy movement, calling for a peaceful transition to democratic rule.