Soeharto's explanation

Soeharto's explanation

Soeharto's attestation that he never amassed any wealth during
his years as president surely surprised no one. He used the
largest part of his 30-minute account on a television network
owned by (his eldest daughter) Tutut to explain why he set up his
various foundations. He related how he had done so to help the
widows and orphaned children of soldiers who had died for their
country; to assist the needy so they could send their children to
school; to build hospitals to provide cheap medical care for the
poor, etcetera, etcetera.

Soeharto, in fact, was so good at explaining his motives that
many people could well have been impressed by his charitable
intentions in setting up those foundations. Only a week ago,
however, Attorney General Andi M. Ghalib said investigations
indicated that funds belonging to those foundations were misused.
In other words, it was believed that public money -- it should
not be forgotten that these foundations collected money from the
public -- had been manipulated under the names of those
foundations. This was one point Soeharto never mentioned.

What people have been demanding so far should be clear enough:
Soeharto must take responsibility for having misused his powers,
for his own and his family's benefit. And the foundations were
not the only means by which those manipulations were conducted.
There were other means as well, which is another point the
authorities must investigate without delay. One other thing must
be set straight: people are demanding that it is not only
Soeharto who must be held responsible but his family as well.

Soeharto's televised explanation on Monday only served to
confine the problem. He was trying to narrow down the focus of
the investigations to the irregularities committed. He was trying
to make it appear as if the accusations of wealth accumulation
are restricted to only himself and do not include his family and
cronies. He was trying to create the impression that the
accusations concern only the foundations under his control.

This is the problem the government must solve. Investigations
must include not only Soeharto but his family and cronies as
well. We are racing against time. Every second that passes
provides them with the opportunity to erase their tracks. Let us
not allow the tracks that are still clear now to become obscure.

-- Republika, Jakarta