Coup unlikely for Indonesia: Fischer

Coup unlikely for Indonesia: Fischer

SYDNEY (AFP): Acting Prime Minister Tim Fischer said he was
confident Indonesia's economic crisis would not spark a military
coup against President Soeharto's government, adding that
Australia's closest Asian neighbor would recover.

Fischer, who is heading the Australian government while Prime
Minister John Howard is on holiday, said late Saturday he
"wouldn't chance my arm" on the potential for a military coup in
Indonesia.

"I hope there will be stability in Indonesia, Thailand, Korea
and beyond but those three economies are going through
extraordinarily difficult times and that is why Australia is
playing the role with the IMF," he said.

Indonesia, which was forced to accept a more than US$40
billion international financial bailout, would recover if it
abides by the strict rules of the economic reform plan led by the
International Monetary Fund, said Fischer.

"It has a lot of potential, the Indonesian economy. It has
come an enormous distance over the last 25 years," he said after
meeting with Japanese officials to discuss the Asian crisis.

"Yes, it has hit an extremely difficult stage, but so good is
its potential I'm confident this will eventually be worked
through," he added.

According to Fischer, Australian exports to Southeast Asia
have been affected by the current crisis. However, some companies
have been able to divert exports from Asia to other markets, such
as Europe, North America, and South Africa.