Indonesian leader tells military to respect democracy

JAKARTA, Oct 5 (Reuters) Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told the once-powerful military today to press ahead with internal reforms and respect democracy.

''Continue the reform process and respect democracy,'' Yudhoyono said in a speech at a ceremony marking the military's 61st anniversary.

''Democracy must continue to blossom and strengthen along with the establishment of the rule of law and a government which is free from corruption and other ills,'' he said.

Indonesia has expressed concern about last month's bloodless military coup in Thailand and urged the fellow Southeast Asian nation to return to democracy.

Yudhoyono said the armed forces needed to improve and modernise their defence capability to deal with security problems at home as well as threats from outside but this would have to be done gradually in line with economic improvements.

The military was heavily involved in politics and accused of human rights abuses during the 32-year autocratic rule of former president Suharto.

Since Suharto's downfall amid unrest in 1998, the military has seen its powers clipped and has been under pressure to abandon its lucrative business ventures.

Yudhoyono said Indonesia must be strong militarily and economically to be ''a dignified nation respected by other nations in the world.'' Yudhoyono, himself a former general, won Indonesia's first direct presidential elections in 2004 on reform pledges.

REUTERS PB PM1441