Threats to stability<\/p>\n
Fresh clashes between Indonesian riot police and student
\nprotesters in Jakarta invite comparison with the clashes that
\nhelped bring down former president Soeharto in May. Indeed, one
\nstudent has termed this latest campaign as \"round two\" in the
\ncontinuing struggle to rid Indonesia of a corrupt and
\nundemocratic leadership.<\/p>\n
But this time there are fundamentally different considerations
\nat work. The swift action of the police to disperse students
\noutside the House of Representatives suggests the security forces
\nare in no mood to tolerate another challenge from the streets
\nwhile the country is on the brink of economic and social
\ncollapse.<\/p>\n
Indonesians are distracted by larger concerns, notably
\nsurvival, as living standards plummet and the prices of even
\nbasic commodities such as rice soar beyond the reach of ordinary
\nfamilies.<\/p>\n
Hunger is a bigger threat to stability than moral or political
\nprinciples and hunger has already produced food riots in several
\nparts of Indonesia. The potential for widespread upheaval cannot
\nbe discounted.<\/p>\n
-- The Sydney Morning Herald<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/threats-to-stability-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }