President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono condemned acts of terrorism and urged for the nation to continue its fight during his speech at a House of Representatives General Assembly on Friday to commemorate upcoming Independence Day celebrations.
Yudhoyono said that the recent acts of terror, such as the July 17 bombing of two hotels in Jakarta, followed a new “trend.”
The latest acts of terrorism were directed at the terrorists’ own country, including their president, Yudhoyono said.
He gave credit to the National Police for their relentless efforts in the fight against terrorism, adding that the nation must not be defeated.
“To all Indonesian people, let’s unite to fight terrorism. Let’s protect our young people from extreme and misleading thoughts,” Yudhoyono said. “Help the authorities by providing information about the terrorists who hide among us.”
The president acknowledged that some of the main triggers of terrorism are poverty, lack of education and social injustice.
“That’s why the purpose of our development is to fight poverty. Our strategy is a double-edged sword, to unroot the causes of terrorism and to fight terrorism at any time, anywhere,” he said.
In the middle of his speech, Yudhoyono asked the audience to excuse him while he drank some water. “The president is also human,” he said in response to chuckles from the audience.
Azyumardi Azra, a history professor at Syarif Hidayatullah National Islamic University in Jakarta, told Metro TV that the president’s speech was “relatively good and represented almost all topics.”
However, Azra said the president elaborated too much on some subjects, such as his description of Indonesia’s future international role. There were also subjects that the president failed to address, he said.
“He should have mentioned and given credit for the legislative and presidential elections, which were conducted in peace. Even though there were disputes, the government showed their goodwill by taking the disputes to the Constitutional Court,” Azra said.
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