Indonesia's troubles<\/p>\n
Since the dramatic fall from power last May of President
\nSoeharto, things have not been going smoothly for the world's
\nfourth most populous nation. Just in the past few days, some of
\nthe worst violence of the year has raked Aceh, a separatist-
\nminded province of Sumatra. At least eight soldiers and 17
\ncivilians have been killed and many more injured in riots and a
\nsubsequent crack-down. The violence is a sign of the deep trouble
\nIndonesia still faces, even as other Asian nations begin to see a
\nglimmer of possible recovery.<\/p>\n
Elections have been scheduled for June, and Indonesians across
\nthe spectrum agree they should take place after more than three
\ndecades of authoritarian rule. But no one should be lulled into
\nbelieving that elections alone can solve Indonesia's troubles,
\neven if the vote is free and fair -- a big if. Mr. Soeharto's
\nrule inflicted too much damage on civil and political
\ninstitutions to expect instant recovery.<\/p>\n
The damage is evident now in the gruesome violence taking
\nplace: Muslim against Christian, Javanese against Chinese, ethnic
\ngroups against each other. Neither the police nor the Armed
\nForces command enough respect to effectively defend law and
\norder. Separatist movements have begun to make gains in several
\nregions and islands. Economic conditions remain dismal, with more
\nand more children being forced to drop out of school.<\/p>\n
To all this, the transitional government of President B.J.
\nHabibie has offered few answers. Evidence that Mr. Habibie is
\nmostly interested in preserving Mr. Soeharto's authoritarian
\nstructures without Mr. Soeharto has engendered suspicion in many
\nquarters. Indonesians are much freer to express themselves and
\nform political parties now than a year ago. But the Habibie
\ngovernment has shown far too little commitment to uncovering and
\npunishing corruption and military abuses. Without such an effort,
\npeace will be impossible.<\/p>\n
The ability of the United States or any other outsider to help
\nIndonesia in its time of trouble is limited. Budget-cutting
\nforced the State Department to close its only consulate on the
\nnorthern island of Sumatra in 1996. Still, the United States can
\nprovide humanitarian aid, help for newborn civic organizations
\nand technical assistance for the coming elections. And it can do
\nmore to make clear it considers Indonesia's efforts to
\ndemocratize vitally important, as in fact they are.<\/p>\n
-- The Washington Post<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesias-troubles-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }