Foreign interference?

Foreign interference?

As an Australian visiting your country, I am hesitant to
comment upon matters which may not be my business. However, I
cannot in all conscience allow the remarks of historian, Pak
Ahmad Mansur Suryanegara interviewed by The Jakarta Post and
published under the title "Unrest linked to foreign interference"
(Jan. 30, 1999).

From the outset let me clearly state that I am no apologist
for the United States, and indeed I hold grave concerns over the
direction of their foreign policy of late -- particularly their
use of military force in various parts of the world.
Nevertheless, I must protest that Pak Mansur's claims of a
deliberate U.S. conspiracy to bring about Indonesia's
"disintegration" by means of an engineered "religious war" are
preposterous and potentially dangerous.

His arguments in support of these peculiar allegations are
mind-boggling and cannot withstand any reasonable scrutiny.

Pak Mansur plays semantics with the word "reformation",
claiming it is inextricably linked to the religious wars of the
15th century. This is ridiculous and I urge him to consult a
credible dictionary for the true meaning of "reformation". The
word means simply to "reform, to alter a particular incumbent
position" --hopefully for the better. Reform does not require a
religious war! Pak Mansur prefers "reformation", which to me
implies a "return to something which previously existed". What is
it that Pak Mansur wishes to restore? What is it from Indonesia's
past he is so keen to see return?

He is strangely silent on this point, although not so shy in
his oblique praise of former president Soeharto. He seeks also to
draw favorable comparisons between Gen. (ret.) Nasution and the
disgraced son-in-law of the former president, Prabowo Subianto.
Is the U.S. also to blame for the decades of greed, corruption
and neglect of the people which preceded the fall of Soeharto?

Pak Mansur goes on to imply that the U.S. is deliberately
destabilizing Indonesia because the Americans are anti-Islam.
This is a highly provocative and dangerous statement to make with
absolutely no evidence to support it.

Pak Mansur 'worries terribly' about the approach of the Sept.
9, 1999. Why? What is the significance of this date. Is it simply
because, in shortened form, it reads 9/9/99? If Pak Mansur wishes
to pursue numerology rather than higher learning, he would do
better to seek employment at an amusement park. Like him, I
sincerely hope nothing awful will happen to the people of
Indonesia on this date -- or any other for that matter.
Predicting doom on the basis of numerology will do nothing to
prevent calamity.

Pak Mansur concludes with a timely warning to "beware of and
do not be carried away by other people's games". I echo his
warning and exhort your readers to strive together to rebuild
this country. Indonesia has many friends in the world who would
wish for nothing better than to see her strong again. Do not be
distracted by the politics of hatred and division -- do not see
enemies where there are none.

ADRIAN J. ROBB

Jakarta