How to deal with Soeharto

How to deal with Soeharto

From Gamma

The 32-year Soeharto reign has made people restless because
Indonesia's enormous foreign loans caused by his policies now
must be borne by the current administration and future
generation.

While foreign confidence in Indonesia has gotten lower almost
to vanishing, it isn't easy for President Abdurrahman Wahid, or
Gus Dur as he popularly called, and his ministers to rectify and
stabilize the ever declining rupiah.

Price hikes for food and other commodities make common people
suffer, and the growing unrest, riots, burning of houses and
frightening mass demonstrations make foreigners afraid of coming
to and doing business in Indonesia.

In such a situation, it's hard for the Attorney General
Marzuki Darusman to punish Soeharto and his children, still
living in luxury for the grave economic crimes they have
committed. It seems 12 years' imprisonment for Soeharto is too
light. But as a nation believing in God Almighty, we think
Soeharto's present suffering -- senile, forgetful, requiring
someone's support when walking -- is already God's punishment.

So, we must also consider his achievements for this country,
from nothing to what we can enjoy now such as high rise
buildings, flyovers, palm oil plantations and many others. The
only way to settle Soeharto's problem is like Gus Dur says that
he will forgive Soeharto. Gus Dur's attitude deserves support.
There is no need to imprison him -- just his greedy children.

Soeharto's cronies -- most of them are big business people --
who received credit facilities from state banks are difficult to
blame, because what they received were gifts from Soeharto, and
they already disbursed some portions of their credit facilities
to Soeharto's numerous foundations. At the most, the legal
sanction to be imposed on them is civil, not criminal.

Most important is that they are still in position and
sufficiently affluent to repay their loans to the government,
unless they have flown abroad. What we must try to do now is get
Soeharto and his children to return their assets to the
government, at least two thirds of them.

Then Soeharto's money, I presume part of it is kept by Liem
Sioe Liong, ought to be returned to the Indonesian government. In
this case Liem Sioe Liong must be aware that he has become super
rich (from having nothing in the past) thanks to Soeharto's
kindness. He had better return Soeharto's money to Indonesia.

In addition, Soeharto and his children should be moved to Buru
Island. This will serve as an endeavor to stop the Indonesian
people's anger and hatred against Soeharto's sins. There,
Soeharto can live peacefully, no longer witnessing demonstrations
that might disturb his remaining old days. On Buru Island
Soeharto can go fishing, play golf, and more important, there he
can continue to enjoy his hobby of farming like he used to do at
Tapos, Bogor.

H.G. MALIKMASS

Tangerang, West Java