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TOKYO — The death on Sept. 6 of one of the nation¹s greatest generals,
A.H. Nasution, reminds us that the uneasy conglomeration of social,
ethnic, regional, economic and
political interests that is today¹s Indonesia, is in deep trouble.
The main crisis is lack of confidence‹among Indonesians themselves
(Pop. 212,941, 810, the world¹s fourth-largest nation after China, India,
and the United States);
in their leaders‹near-blind President Abdurrahman Wahid admits his honeymoon
is over,
"they don¹t even laugh at my jokes anymore"; in world economic councils and
among
nations who see Jakarta¹s trampling on human rights as having gone too far.
The murder of three United Nations aid workers in West Timor just
over a week ago allegedly to stop East Timor from returning to Indonesian
rule was the last straw.
Reconsideration of the life and death of "soldier¹s soldier" Nasution
is appropriate at this time when the Indonesian military is being blamed for
everything except the excessively humid weather. Independence hero Nasution
was an advocate of a strong military, but with maturity and restrictions.
Time was when the Indonesian military was looked to for maintaining
stability on the archipelago¹s 13,500 islands, 6,000 of which are
inhabited.
Despite what you¹ve heard from U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright
or read in the latest World Bank or International Monetary Fund report,
it is the discipline of the military
which is needed to insure stability until more trust evolves.
This is essential for Indonesia¹s diverse institutions to have time to
allow the luxury of democracy to get a foothold and flourish.
What¹s this you say, "more time?" Hasn¹t patience in the West and in
ASEAN worn thin?
Doubts accrue to both Sukarno¹s "Old Order" and "Suharto¹s "New Order."
It is very difficult writing a column supporting more cooperation with
Indonesia¹s military.
But that is what is needed: the U..S. for example needs to return to
the days when it had a strong presence among the Jakarta military and then
could work to reform it.
This a been the pattern with other Asian military establishments
— South Korea, Taiwan,
Thailand.
Only Indonesia, Myanmar, China and North Korea are waiting for their
military forces to be fully reformed and democratized‹that is absolutely
responsive to civilian rule.
The sooner the United States gets back in the game of exchanges and
reforming the Indonesian military, the better. It would help if Washington
could find a young Nasution in the ranks.
Wahid‹known as Gus Dur (his childhood name)‹won the presidency last
October in a surprise, and insists the people are still with him.
The 59-year-old Muslim cleric¹s increasingly weak political position
makes it uncertain whether the Clinton administration¹s scolding of
Indonesia will help stabilize the nation or add to its myriad woes.
Following Mrs. Albright¹s harsh statement, U.S. Defense Secretary
William Cohen fired a broadside of criticism followed by a statement by
U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Robert Gelbard Monday Sept. 25 that Jakarta
risks losing international aid if the militias in West Timor are not
disbanded.
Wahid¹s advisers at least are forward looking. Enduring the long trip to
New York recently, it was recommended to Wahid — he is said to have
responedwith a smile-- that Indonesia purchase a Boeing 737 executive jet
(IMF One?) for his "flying office" around the nation and for making
several-stop trips to the U.S. and Europe.
The adviser who made that suggestion reportedly has not yet been fired,
which itself is a commentary of sorts.
Edward Neilan (eneilan@crisscross.com) is a veteran journalist, based in Tokyo, who covers East Asia and writes weekly for World Tribune.com.