Hope for Indonesia<\/p>\n
Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri got high marks,
\neven from erstwhile critics, on Thursday's state of the nation
\naddress. In the first major speech since assuming the chief
\nexecutive's chair on July 23, she struck a statesmanlike chord,
\napologizing for human rights abuses by the military and vowing to
\ntackle official corruption and restore economic health to an
\nailing nation. She and her cabinet appointees now have before
\nthem the task of trying to make good on her promises.<\/p>\n
Megawati decided to send a message of stability and
\nmoderation. Following her much applauded appointed last week of a
\nrespected team of professional economic advisors and a multi-
\npartisan cabinet, she reiterated that the nation would make good
\non its $140 billion in foreign debt. And while no quarter was
\ngiven to independence movements in Aceh and Irian Jaya, the new
\npresident left the door open for increased autonomy in the
\ntrouble-stricken regions.<\/p>\n
In an attempt to convince the international community that she
\nis not interested in refighting old battles, she acknowledged the
\nindependence of East Timor. In the aftermath of inaugural
\ncriticism suggesting she wasn't cut out for the job, Megawati has
\nsucceeded in her first major challenge, which simply was to
\ndemonstrate that she has presidential stature.<\/p>\n
But there are still many bumps in the road to peace and
\nprosperity in the archipelago. Breaking the habit of graft in
\ngovernment will be easier said than done. Banking reform and
\nprivatization initiatives will meet heavy opposition. Perhaps the
\nbiggest challenge will be reforming the military without losing
\nits support for civilian rule. Over the weekend, hundreds of
\nsoldiers patrolled the provincial capital of Aceh after a wave of
\n16 bombings; keeping a lid on this conflict where 1,000 have died
\nso far this year is a complex undertaking.<\/p>\n
So soon after the ego driven implosion of the Wahid
\nadministration -- a government that at first held much promise --
\nit is best to withhold judgment until there is some concrete
\nevidence that Megawati' reforms are being implemented and that
\nthey are opening up new opportunities for Indonesians to recover
\nfrom the economic destruction visited upon them in 1997. But the
\nnew president is off to a good start and we wish her well.<\/p>\n
-- The Asian Wall Street Journal, Hong Kong<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hope-for-indonesia-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }