End the Soeharto Era<\/p>\n
At long last, someone in the Cabinet has the guts to publicly
\nunveil the face of the provocateurs behind the various conflicts
\nwhich have wreaked havoc in Indonesia these past two years.
\nMinister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono echoed what has been on the
\nminds of most people in this country when he said on Thursday
\nthat the series of riots and disturbances plaguing Indonesia were
\nlinked to the supporters of former president Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Previously, the public has been left bewildered as government
\ninvestigators and the police repeatedly blamed nameless
\nprovocateurs for the spate of violence. Now, with Juwono's
\nstatement accusing followers of the former tyrant, the
\ngovernment, which seems to have been at a loss in explaining the
\nviolence in this country, may finally be getting somewhere.<\/p>\n
While we leave it to the police and investigators to come up
\nwith the evidence to back Juwono's assertion, there is a simple
\nand logical explanation as to why most fingers have pointed at
\nJl. Cendana: Soeharto, his family and their supporters are about
\nthe only group in this country which has the most to lose from a
\npeaceful and democratic Indonesia. A stable Indonesia with a
\nstable government will, sooner or later, go after them and their
\nill-gotten wealth.<\/p>\n
But they know that the nation will prosecute them not solely
\nfor the wealth they plundered for 32 years, but more importantly
\nfor the endless power abuses that Soeharto, his children, his
\ngenerals and supporters committed during his entire regime. They,
\nmore than anyone else in this country, have an interest in
\nkeeping Indonesia in perpetual crisis.<\/p>\n
Apart from having the motive, they also have the means to
\ncause large scale disturbances. They still possess the financial
\nresources as well as the political muscle -- with their extensive
\nnetwork of support organizations built over 30 years -- to
\ninflict whatever damage they wish. They have the experience of
\nconducting intelligence operations; covert operations of terror
\nand intimidation propped Soeharto in power from 1966 to 1998.<\/p>\n
The trouble with past practices of blaming the acts of
\nviolence on mysterious provocateurs is that no one could act on
\nit. The police, the government investigators and the entire
\nnation were left completely powerless as they watched the country
\ndegenerate from one crisis to another. By actually putting faces
\nto these provocateurs, it is now time to act.<\/p>\n
The nation, because of its commitment to democracy, has shown
\nfar too much tolerance of Soeharto, his family, cronies and
\nsupporters. The newly elected government has proceeded too slowly
\nin prosecuting them for the abuses of power. In the meantime,
\nthey have abused this tolerance to cause even more destruction.<\/p>\n
With the death toll rising by the day in the violence in
\nAmbon, Maluku, Poso and other regions, surely we have long passed
\nthe limit of tolerance. President Abdurrahman Wahid should use
\nthe legitimacy and popular support he has to do whatever is
\nnecessary to restore peace and order. If ending the sectarian
\nconflicts means taking drastic actions against Soeharto and his
\nsupporters, then the President has the people's mandate.<\/p>\n
The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), which meets in
\nAugust, should enact a decree condemning Soeharto for the 32
\nyears of power abuses. This would kill once and for all the
\npolitical power and any remaining ambitions, not only of the
\nailing former despot, but more importantly of his supporters who
\nare still looming free and strong to inflict extensive damage.<\/p>\n
An MPR decree condemning Soeharto would mark the beginning of
\nthe end of the Soeharto era, and everything that it stands for.
\nIt would pave the way for the government to round up his
\nsupporters, who have caused so much trouble. An MPR decree would
\nallow the government to sequester the assets of Soeharto, his
\nchildren and cronies. The experience of the last two years shows
\nthe legal approach to prosecute Soeharto is not only slow and
\ncomplex, but it also meets powerful resistance from his
\nsupporters.<\/p>\n
This proposed decree would be identical to the one issued by
\nthe Provisional MPR in 1966 to outlaw the Indonesian Communist
\nParty (PKI) and to ban the dissemination of communist ideology
\nand teachings. The 1966 decree, now the subject of controversy,
\neffectively ended communism in Indonesia. Considering that
\nSoeharto and his supporters have inflicted so much damage on this
\ncountry for more than 30 years, -- and they are still causing
\ndestruction now -- surely they, rather than communism or anything
\nelse, represent the biggest threat to Indonesia today.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/end-the-soeharto-era-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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