Vaudine England – President Abdurrahman Wahid yesterday brushed off calls for his resignation from students and lawmakers, saying his opponents were the tools of "those who are hungry for power".
In an exclusive interview, Mr Wahid said the military leadership was behind him and he had never doubted his ability to win what he called the country's "political civil war".
"I do not feel threatened at all," he said, adding that, contrary to reports of his imminent political demise, he was willing to run for re-election in 2004 if his country needed him.
On Singapore, Mr Wahid said he respected the city-state but again accused it of greed and manipulation.
His policy to build an Asian Axis in foreign policy was doing well, he said, and Indonesia had won world respect in its new role of finding peaceful solutions to problems.
Indonesia is plagued by two violent separatist rebellions – in Aceh and Irian Jaya – and by communal warfare in the Maluku Islands.
Mr Wahid faces investigation from Parliament over alleged involvement in two financial scandals, and has come under mounting criticism for the perceived weakness and instability of his administration.
Asked what conclusion outsiders should reach about his country, Mr Wahid said: "They can see for themselves here. Don't rely on press reports – they only stress bad things. Good things are not reported.
"The second thing is that if the people don't go to Indonesia they will be left behind. It's up to them. I don't mind. If they are left behind don't blame me, because we have done so much.
"As for law and order, we will improve that. Our problems of 50 years cannot be solved in one year. We are improving the law and securing a peaceful situation and also tackling the security problem. It will take time, maybe half a month more, not more."
Amid police reports that the 18 Christmas bombings at churches across the country were carried out by men trained by the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan, Mr Wahid made the clearest statement yet of his belief that extremist Islamic groups in Indonesia were being used by his political opponents.
He denied knowledge of any international links, but said he believed the terror was masterminded by individuals from the armed forces and not by the military as an institution.
He said: "Many activities of the extremists in using violence ended up in the terrorism of the bombings on Christmas Eve. It's a sign of another thing, that Indonesia is more democratic and more moderate. So now more people express this kind of moderation.
"Because of this, the fanatics, the extremists are afraid that things will not go their way. Because of this they do what they did now. But this is a sign of the successful policy of moderation. It's clear, because of the announcements, the leaflets and so forth, that Islamic groups did the Christmas Eve bombings.
"But who ordered them, that's different. It's for political purposes. So in a sense those Muslim militants were used by people who are hungry for power ... military personalities, yes, but not the hierarchy, not the military as an institution."
Mr Wahid said it was the Government's task to put the genie of militant Islam back into the bottle. "Despite whatever you say about them, they are limited in numbers, they are limited in everything, they don't have resources. They are used only by those politicians who are hungry for power. They are misled by the process of modernisation but used by the power-hungry politicians."
He expressed faith in the allegiance of his Vice-President, Megawati Sukarnoputri, who leads the largest bloc of votes in Parliament.
"Megawati herself stated to me that she would not be doing the constitutional coup. She has as big a stake in this governmental system, in this democratic system, as anybody else. So that if there are people who try to use her name, don't believe them. See for yourself – ask her."
As for the violence that continues in many parts of the country, from neighbourhood vigilantism to separatist rebellions, Mr Wahid said that was the price of democratisation.
"The United States had 800,000 dead in the Civil War. Did that make the United States weak? No. They continued. So also Indonesia. In Europe, 35 million people were butchered in World War II. But the people improved their lives and made corrections. So also in Indonesia.
"There is no need for us to be pessimistic or dismayed. Of course we are against violence, but that doesn't mean we should not be idealistic about the future."
Asked if he likened his position to fighting a civil war, Mr Wahid agreed he was up against the "status quo", meaning groups aligned to the former Suharto regime.
"That's a civil war in which sometimes power is used and people are used. But mainly it's a political civil war.
"To establish democracy is not easy. There are forces which would like to maintain the status quo, to retain their power, of course, and that's why we are in this position.
"But I think soon, it will be easier. We will be talking about that. Mao Zedong had to put 12 million people to death when he occupied Beijing. That's the price to be paid."
Nearly blind, a diabetic and a stroke victim, Mr Wahid is a revered Muslim cleric and intellectual who his detractors say is a weak administrator. But he says doubt does not enter his mind.
"I have never any doubt, never. Because I know the situation despite whatever the people say, in the media, among the elite."
Mr Wahid agreed it would be "suicidal" for him if former President Suharto's youngest son Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra were to evade imprisonment for corruption.
On the run for more than two months, Hutomo was now in a general's house in Jakarta, Mr Wahid said. "We know where he is now and we will detain him soon."
Mr Wahid claimed peace was at hand in Aceh, where the daily death toll approaches half a dozen, and in Irian Jaya, where independence activists took six people hostage two days ago.
"You will not find the logic and I'm not concerned. I have my own logic. I have to tread the way for a balanced approach, to extremist people on different levels and from different groups."