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Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri, in a veiled criticism of the US, warned nations today against going it alone in settling international disputes.

Megawati, in a speech to mark the 36th anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), said a recent surge in unilateralism was a threat to democracy.

"What we need to guard against is that in the course of responding to security threats, we allow unilateralism to flourish in our midst.

We must not allow that to happen and we must do something about it," she said.

Indonesia was a staunch opponent of the US war against Iraq, which was waged without United Nations authorisation.

Despite being preoccupied with efforts to combat terrorism, Asean should do more to help find peaceful solutions to various global conflicts, including the crisis stemming from North Korea's ambition to develop nuclear weapons, Megawati said.

"This is especially so in the light of a surge in unilateralism in international affairs that has shunted aside the established democratic ways of resolving disputes between and among nations," she said.

Asean must act together with the international community "to restore the rightful place of multilateralism in relations between and among nations," she said, adding that the United Nations must be allowed to resume its role in settling international disputes.

Megawati also called for a global coalition against terrorism after the deadly car bomb attack on the US-run JW Marriott hotel in Jakarta on Tuesday raised fears of a fresh terror campaign in Southeast Asia.

"It became clear that no single country or group of countries could overcome this threat alone," she said.

"In Indonesia's view...it would take a global coalition involving all nations, all societies, religions and cultures to defeat this threat".

Megawati said the September 11 attack on the US, last year's Bali bombings, and this week's car bomb blast at the Marriott had awakened the world to the immense danger of terrorism.

Regional cooperation appeared to be inadequate to deal with the threat, she said.

The Marriott hotel blast on Tuesday killed at least ten people and injured 146 others.

Police have said they believe the attack was a suicide mission and that it bore the hallmarks of the Jemaah Islamiyah regional terror network, which is also blamed for the October 12 Bali bombings. – Sapa.

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