Yudhoyono: Corruption top priority
From CNN Jakarta Bureau Chief Maria Ressa
JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- Newly elected Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono faces immense challenges -- from fixing the economy to stopping religious and separatist conflicts and dealing with al Qaeda linked militants.
But in a wide-ranging interview with CNN's Jakarta Bureau Chief Maria Ressa, the former army general and cabinet minister said his top priority was fighting corruption.
"It is our biggest weakness. Because of corruption, we are hemorrhaging economically," Yudhoyono said.
"In order to fight injustice, poverty and mismanagement, we need to eradicate corruption. I've asked the police and the attorney general to look into the big corruption cases and the ones that do the most damage to the country.
"These need to be processed and the guilty parties should be brought to justice. I want the whole nation to realize that corruption cannot go any longer like this."
Yudhoyono also pledged to take firm action against terrorists in Indonesia following three deadly attacks in the past two years, but he ruled out banning the al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiya group.
"My government will take firm action against whatever organization or individual who commits acts of terrorism based on the law .... For me personally, what is important is that whoever commits acts of terror will have to be dealt with firmly," Yudhoyono said.
"The Indonesian government can only dismantle or ban an organization that formally exists. For that reason, there is no need for debate whether the organization has to be officially dismantled or banned.
"What is clear, all our efforts by the police, intelligence, legal procedures need to be carried out firmly against those who may be part of the Jemaah Islamiya or other terrorist organizations."
Since the Bali nightclub bombings just over two years ago, which killed more than 200 people, Indonesian security forces have arrested about 150 suspected terrorists, most tied to Jemaah Islamiya.
And radical cleric and alleged spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiya, Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, was earlier this month formally charged with instigating last year's bombing of the J.W. Marriott hotel in Jakarta which killed 12 people.
Yudhoyono also said he was committed to a policy of counteracting extremism and radicalism in Indonesia, the world's most-populous Muslin nation.
"We have to make sure Indonesia remains a moderate society. We are facing the problem of rising radicalism and increasing violence in different forms," he said.
"As president I am committed to start a social movement that will help mitigate radicalism and extremism.
"I will engage religious and community leaders so that we can work together in promoting a moderate, tolerant and peaceful Indonesia."
