Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid promised that he would act firmly against those who had destroyed social order and caused the strife in Aceh, Maluku and other provinces.

"We have been patient so far but we will take firm actions soon," Wahid was quoted by the Antara News Agency Sunday as saying.

The president said his government had always been serious in dealing with the conflicts in Maluku as well as Aceh.

Maluku in the eastern part of the country has been the site of bloody communal violence since January last year and about 1,130 people have died since then. Aceh, the country's westernmost province, has been under fire since some people there raised the demand for independence and separation from Indonesia.

Wahid said Vice-President Megawati Soekarnoputri would visit Maluku on January 24 while he himself would go to Aceh at the end of the month.

He also asked the people in the troubled regions to forget the tragedies they had experienced and try to think only of the future.

About his planned visits to 11 countries in Europe and Asia later this month, the president said he would convince their government leaders about the importance of letting Indonesia remain united.(Xinhua)