Judging Indonesia<\/p>\n
The brutal ethnic violence that has erupted during the past
\nweek on the island of Borneo has brought a reminder that one of
\nthe messiest, and most important, foreign problems awaiting a
\nBush administration policy is Indonesia. Unlike South Korea or
\nMalaysia, Indonesia has never recovered from the Asian economic
\ncrisis of 1997; like Thailand and the Philippines, it is
\nstruggling to consolidate weak democratic institutions under the
\nshadow of a still-powerful military.<\/p>\n
The difference is that Indonesia is huge -- 214 million people
\nspread across some 4,000 islands -- and since the fall of
\nlongtime dictator Soeharto in 1998 it has been in danger of
\nviolently breaking apart, spreading bloodshed, refugees and
\neconomic disruption across Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n
East Timor has already seceded; separatist movements are
\nstrong in the provinces of Aceh and Irian Jaya. As the
\ncentrifugal forces grow, so does the ethnic violence; the
\nfighting in Borneo pits the native Dayak group against immigrants
\nfrom the island of Madura.<\/p>\n
One reason that formulating a response to this trouble is hard
\nis that the natural partner for a U.S. administration -- the
\ndemocratically elected civilian president, Abdurrahman Wahid --
\nhas not only proved weak and ineffective in his 18 months in
\npower but also is in serious danger of being impeached and
\nremoved from office in the next few months.<\/p>\n
Though the corruption charges against Mr. Wahid are debatable,
\nthere is little question that he has been unable to rein in the
\npowerful and corrupt forces in the military and business elite
\nthat dominated the country in the Soeharto era, or even curb
\nmilitary and police tactics that have exacerbated the separatism
\nand ethnic cleansing.<\/p>\n
Worse, the constitutional alternative to Mr. Wahid, Vice
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri, may be an even weaker actor; so
\nfar she has hung back even while allowing her party to pursue Mr.
\nWahid's ouster.<\/p>\n
This worrisome picture has reportedly prompted some
\nconsideration in the new administration of renewing once-strong
\nU.S. ties with the Indonesian army, which will be a decisive
\npower broker if, as many fear, the battle over Mr. Wahid's
\nimpeachment turns violent. But this would be a mistake.<\/p>\n
Though the military may offer short-term stability,
\nIndonesia's return to robust economic growth and social
\nadvancement depends on rooting out the old corrupt order. Mr.
\nWahid has long promised to advance this cause by holding trials
\nfor a score of senior officers and police officials implicated in
\natrocities in East Timor -- but no trials have ever been held.<\/p>\n
The Bush administration could help both Mr. Wahid and the
\nlarger cause of democracy in Indonesia by insisting that these
\ncases, rather than a costly battle over impeachment, take center
\nstage.<\/p>\n
-- Washington Post<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/judging-indonesia-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }