Help restore confidence

President Soeharto is apparently looking to take something positive out of the present crisis. The opening remark in his address to the People's Consultative Assembly was that "the main aim of economic and financial reforms and our restructuring program is to restore confidence in our currency, our financial institutions and our economic future".

Restoring confidence at home and abroad is not something that can be achieved at will or demanded from international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund. It will only happen when we can prove that there is no inconsistency between what we say and what we do. The more this principle is adhered to the stronger will be the confidence placed in Indonesia.

In this light it is with regret that we note there are still certain parties who mock President Soeharto's efforts to restore public confidence. They do this by persisting to engage in activities that President Soeharto and the IMF have jointly agreed to eliminate. These acts aim only to serve the interests of certain groups and disregard the interests of the nation as a whole.

All who act in this way must be reminded that restoring confidence is not just the task of the government, but of all members of this nation, as Soeharto said last Sunday. To escape the crisis a strong sense of belonging together is needed. The whole nation must have a sense of commitment to undergo this painful but necessary therapy.

-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta