Indonesia must show the world that its Muslim majority is moderate and peace-loving and not let a tiny group of "murderers" determine its direction, US President George W. Bush said in an interview.

"I think it is very important for Indonesia to make known the moderate nature of the Islamic community," Bush said in an interview in Washington with Indonesia's Kompas newspaper.

"Let it be known to the world that the vast majority of Muslims in that country respect democracy and wish to live in peace." Bush next Wednesday meets President Megawati Sukarnoputri, leader of the world's most populous Muslim nation, in Bali during his Asian tour.

The al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) regional terror group, which is based in Indonesia, is blamed for bombings on the resort island which killed 202 people in October last year. Police have arrested 35 people. Three have been sentenced to death and many others jailed.

Bush said he would tell Megawati the US did not wish Indonesia to be hijacked by a small group of people who "harbour hatred." "It is very important that we make concerted efforts ... to help Madam Megawati bring the remnants or those [terrorist] cells to justice," he said.

"Indonesia is one of very important countries, important because of the nature of its population. It is imperative that that country succeed." Bush said the war on terror would be a key topic with five Asian leaders during his tour and he would warn them that they were dealing with "cold-blooded murderers." The US president was to embark Thursday on the trip that will take him to Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Australia.

Bush said the war on terror would be a long one. "I don't know how long it will take but most importantly countries should understand that it's a long-term effort. We must not relent and give up." In a separate interview with Indonesia's SCTV broadcast Wednesday, Bush gave no promises about access to top terror suspect Hambali, who is believed to be a senior figure in both al Qaeda and JI.

Hambali was arrested in Thailand in August and is now in US custody at an undisclosed location. US authorities have not granted Indonesian investigators direct access to him even though most of the attacks to which he is linked took place in Indonesia.

Asked how Jakarta could cooperate with the war on terror if not given a chance to question Hambali, Bush said that "right now the key is to find out as much as we possibly can and when we have that information we will share it with her [Megawati]." In the interview with Kompas, Bush said he would continue to pressure Myanmar to release pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been detained by the military junta since May.

"The Myanmar situation is lamentable. There's a leader in Myanmar who need to be treated respectably and the will of the people should be respected. We will continue to push for freedom in Myanmar," Bush said.

"Aung San Suu Kyi is a great leader. She is a heroic woman. This country respects her and we will continue to push for her freedom." The United States and some other nations tightened sanctions on Myanmar after Aung San Suu Kyi was detained at an undisclosed location following a bloody clash between her supporters and pro-junta demonstrators on May 30. She is now under house arrest.