Investigating past events crucial

Investigating past events crucial

While it requires a great deal of courage for Indonesia to
reinvestigate the controversial events that occurred under former
president Soeharto, it is an essential process in providing a
solid basis for the development of democracy and society in
Indonesia. It is heartening to see that those who are supportive
of such moves include Indonesian political observers, historians
and President Abdurrahman Wahid himself.

However, the 1965 overthrow of Sukarno and the subsequent
massacre will be a particularly thorny issue to tackle, not least
because it was the New Order's distorted version that provided
Soeharto's government with legitimacy and because there is now
much evidence to show that the United States was heavily involved
in the murderous affairs. Given Indonesia's great need for
foreign investment and assistance at this present time, it will
be tempting for the Indonesian government to yield to U.S.
pressure not to delve into the United State's complicity in these
events.

There are, however, direct parallels between the U.S. support
of Soeharto's Army faction in the 1960s and the Indonesian
military's support of the pro-Jakarta militias in East Timor in
1999. In the 1960s, the U.S. was Soeharto's patron, providing,
inter alia, money, arms training and even hit lists, in the same
way elements within the Indonesian Military seem to have done for
pro-Jakarta militias in East Timor last year. The resulting death
toll in Indonesia in the 1960s was between 500,000 and one
million people and, in the case of East Timor in 1999, at least
600.

It would send an empowering, edifying and galvanizing message
to the people of "developing" countries if both these heinous
series of crimes against humanity were thoroughly investigated
with equal zeal. It would also help to create a healthier and
more balanced world view that, in turn, would lead to much needed
further growth in the level of understanding and respect by
"developed" countries for the "developing" world.

Perhaps, the outspoken and courageous Mary Robinson, the UN
Commissioner for Human Rights, is just the person to ensure
international justice will be meted out fairly and that no
country, however powerful, will be granted special privileges and
remain above the law.

FRANK RICHARDSON

Jakarta