Clinton says Soeharto's fate rests with Indonesia
Clinton says Soeharto's fate rests with Indonesia
BIRMINGHAM, England (Reuters): U.S. President Bill Clinton
urged Indonesia yesterday to embrace political reform but said
the fate of President Soeharto rested with his people.
Clinton made his comments at a joint news conference with
Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto ahead of a Group of
Eight summit in the central English city of Birmingham.
"We're both very concerned about the situation in Indonesia.
The loss of life and other destructive developments have been
heartbreaking," said Clinton, who was flanked by Hashimoto.
Asked if the time had come for Soeharto to step down, Clinton
replied: "The question you asked is one the Indonesian people
have to decide. What we do believe is important is that the
present government open a dialog with all the elements of society
and that it lead to genuine political reform."
In Singapore, Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong said he is
concerned about the situation in Indonesia but it is an internal
matter, the Straits Times said yesterday.
Goh said in an interview that he is strongly concerned that
the crisis had turned from economic to political.
But Goh stressed politics was an internal matter and it was up
to Jakarta to decide how best to deal with the situation.
In Canberra, Former Australian prime minister Bob Hawke called
for President Soeharto to step down, saying he was too reliant on
his cronies to effectively govern the strife-torn archipelago.
"He should step down. The time has come, I believe now, for a
change of regime," Hawke told Channel Seven television.
Hawke, Labor prime minister from 1983 to 1991, said the latter
part of Soeharto's 32-year rule had become increasingly
inadequate because he was not able to respond to new issues.
Australia's former foreign minister Gareth Evans also called
for Soeharto to quit.
"Soeharto's time has come. The first family's time has come,"
said Evans, who as foreign minister between 1988 and 1996
developed a deep friendship with Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali
Alatas.
"The only question now is whether a transition can be managed
without too much more chaos and bloodshed, or whether it can be
done reasonably smoothly," said Evans, now deputy Labor
opposition leader.
Prime Minister John Howard and Foreign Minister Alexander
Downer both declined to call on Soeharto to relinquish power.
"We've tried to be a good friend over recent times ... but at the
end of the day it is for the Indonesians to work out who is the
president," Howard told a Melbourne radio station.
"But it is always the case that in the end the desire for
personal liberty and the desire for political freedom eventually
overwhelms those forces that are working against it and that is a
lesson that history has taught us immemorial," he said.
But both Downer and Howard said Australia could work with
whichever government was in power in Indonesia.
"If the government changes, I'm sure we'll work well with a
successor government," Downer said. "But I don't have any
information that President Soeharto might stand down."
BIRMINGHAM, England (Reuters): U.S. President Bill Clinton
urged Indonesia yesterday to embrace political reform but said
the fate of President Soeharto rested with his people.
Clinton made his comments at a joint news conference with
Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto ahead of a Group of
Eight summit in the central English city of Birmingham.
"We're both very concerned about the situation in Indonesia.
The loss of life and other destructive developments have been
heartbreaking," said Clinton, who was flanked by Hashimoto.
Asked if the time had come for Soeharto to step down, Clinton
replied: "The question you asked is one the Indonesian people
have to decide. What we do believe is important is that the
present government open a dialog with all the elements of society
and that it lead to genuine political reform."
In Singapore, Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong said he is
concerned about the situation in Indonesia but it is an internal
matter, the Straits Times said yesterday.
Goh said in an interview that he is strongly concerned that
the crisis had turned from economic to political.
But Goh stressed politics was an internal matter and it was up
to Jakarta to decide how best to deal with the situation.
In Canberra, Former Australian prime minister Bob Hawke called
for President Soeharto to step down, saying he was too reliant on
his cronies to effectively govern the strife-torn archipelago.
"He should step down. The time has come, I believe now, for a
change of regime," Hawke told Channel Seven television.
Hawke, Labor prime minister from 1983 to 1991, said the latter
part of Soeharto's 32-year rule had become increasingly
inadequate because he was not able to respond to new issues.
Australia's former foreign minister Gareth Evans also called
for Soeharto to quit.
"Soeharto's time has come. The first family's time has come,"
said Evans, who as foreign minister between 1988 and 1996
developed a deep friendship with Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali
Alatas.
"The only question now is whether a transition can be managed
without too much more chaos and bloodshed, or whether it can be
done reasonably smoothly," said Evans, now deputy Labor
opposition leader.
Prime Minister John Howard and Foreign Minister Alexander
Downer both declined to call on Soeharto to relinquish power.
"We've tried to be a good friend over recent times ... but at the
end of the day it is for the Indonesians to work out who is the
president," Howard told a Melbourne radio station.
"But it is always the case that in the end the desire for
personal liberty and the desire for political freedom eventually
overwhelms those forces that are working against it and that is a
lesson that history has taught us immemorial," he said.
But both Downer and Howard said Australia could work with
whichever government was in power in Indonesia.
"If the government changes, I'm sure we'll work well with a
successor government," Downer said. "But I don't have any
information that President Soeharto might stand down."