Megawati tells of 'shame'

Megawati starts to open up about how she feels

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri has spoken openly in an insight to her feelings on assuming power.

She admitted that she was "ashamed" to have inherited a poverty-stricken nation begging help from its neighbors, The Associated Press reported.

"If I was an ostrich, I would bury my head in the sand in shame," said Megawati, who took office last month and wrapped up her first state tour of Southeast Asian neighbors Tuesday.

"We have to ask help," she said. "Even countries like Myanmar are offering rice supplies to feed our people." Myanmar is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia.

Megawati wrapped up a lightning tour of Southeast Asia with a stern warning to separatist rebels in the troubled province of Aceh.

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"Stop the subversion or face appropriate and tough actions by the central government in line with laws of the Indonesian republic," Bernama news agency quoted her as telling a gathering of the local Indonesian community.

Laws granting regional autonomy to Aceh could resolve the array of problems there, she said.

"I am allowing whatever lawful measures be taken to resolve the problems there so that the community can rest assured of no more violence," she said.

In Jakarta, a top official said Megawati plans to visit troubled Aceh on Sunday as part of her attempts to ease separatist tension in the resource-rich province.

An archipelago of 13,000 islands and home to some 200 million people, Indonesia is the largest member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.