RI undergoing healing process, says Anderson

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is in a healing process after decaying for years under the untrammeled power of former president Soeharto, leading Indonesianist Benedict Anderson of Cornell University said on Monday.

"Indonesia is like a person just discharged from hospital, but still needing to be assisted," Anderson told reporters after speaking in a discussion on nationalism organized by Tempo, as part of the celebrations of the magazine's 28th anniversary.

Anderson said that the veteran ruler had damaged the country's economy, military and morale.

He also said that recent eruptions of violence in a number of areas of the country resulted from Soeharto's unjust 32-year rule.

Indonesia has been rocked by religious and ethnic clashes since the potentate stepped down in May last year amid student protests, riots which have killed some 1,200 people and the country's worst ever economic crisis.

Since then, students, activists and opposition leaders have been demanding that Soeharto be put on trial for alleged corruption and human rights abuses during his years in power.

Anderson said last week that Soeharto's New Order was responsible for the deaths of nearly 800,000 people, which he said was unmatched in the archipelago's history.

Anderson however doubted on Monday that President B.J. Habibie would be willing to thoroughly investigate his former mentor.

"Nobody believes that Habibie's government is a clean government; he is part of the New Order regime.

"Everybody knows that Habibie will not confront Soeharto. If your father did something which was very wrong, would you dare to take him to court?" Anderson asked.

The probe into Soeharto's wealth has dragged on since June and come under fire from legal experts and pro-reformists who have accused the government of deliberate foot-dragging. (byg/23/44)