A country in chaos

Thursday, Sept. 23, 1999--HONG KONG--On December 12, 1997, I wrote a column for this journal that began: 

"Under the banyan tree, somebody said, nothing grows. Rumours that Indonesian leader Suharto is sick sent Jakarta's stock market tumbling and the rupiah into near free fall. Why? Because no one knows who step into the big buy's shoes. That's the way it is with dictatorships. Suharto has been the banyan tree of Indonesian politics for decades."

"On Thursday, December 11th, two guerrilla fighters were condemned to death for killing a bunch of Indonesian soldiers in an ambush earlier this year. Surely, isn't executing prisoners of war against the Geneva Convention? Indonesia invaded a sovereign state and continues to occupy it. It follows that anyone actively resisting should be treated as a soldier, right? 

The men were condemned in a Baucau courtroom. Baucau was the scene of the 1981 'Operasi Keamanan (Operation Security) massacre, and the scorched earth bombing of 'Operasi Persatuan' (Operation Unity). Okay, these things happened a while ago, but I think they are still deserving of mention from time to time. And a little outrage, too."

And while this week we hear that the U.S. House of Representatives won't support China's WTO entry because of human rights concern, an improvement in human rights and freedom for the East Timorese was never linked to the massive IMF/WB bailout offered to Jakarta. 

On the 13th May, 1998 I wrote about the Indonesian student riots and the fact we may be witnessing the end game for Suharto. He did resign, I think it was a day later. B.J. Habibie stepped up to the plate, but he didn't fill the big man's shoes--he was never intended to. Events overtook Suharto--and Habibie. But the international community were quick to grasp the lie that Habibie was a worthy successor as a lifeline that would remove their obligation to do anything other than throw money and more weapons at the 'new' regime in Jakarta.

13th May, 1998: "It is surprising, but then again maybe not, that international condemnation of the murder of students by security forces in central Jakarta has been muted. So muted, in fact, that 24 hours after the deaths I am still waiting to hear anything substantive." 

The shooting of students and the rape of ethnic Chinese women should have been enough for Britain to invoke its so called 'moral foreign policy' and immediately halt military transfers. And now we are hearing that Hawk jets are still being delivered--because they'd left Britain before the European Union finally put an arms embargo on Indonesia--two weeks ago. A lot of East Timorese had to be murdered and burned out of their homes before the embargo was initiated. 

To protect 'vital and strategic' interests, the international community has always been willing to grasp at the first semi-credible lie offered by the Indonesians. Witness the disgraceful willingness of the Security Council special committee that visited East Timor to accept the 'rogue element' story. Those 'rogue elements' who defied the military high-brass in Jakarta who have just forced draconian new laws through the outgoing parliament that gives the military new and terrifying powers. Elements of those same 'rogue elements' have been witnessed withdrawing from East Timor--but not witnessed being arrested on their arrival back in Indonesia. Bit strange that, don't you think? That traitors and mutineers who've brought disgrace on a nation have not been disarmed and thrown in jail? 

It has been a week since I have heard anything out of Jakarta about some selected commanders being brought up on charges. And no outraged calls from the Security Council that they be indicted. 

Human Rights Commissioner, Mary Robinson, is very angry and is calling for justice for the murdered, raped and displaced. But she doesn't represent any country that trades with Indonesia. She is United Nations--a bit like a noisy neighbour's dog that runs for cover when you throw a stone at it. 

We are seeing a country disintegrate. A dictatorship supported by the West for decades is now tearing itself apart. Thousands have died across the length and breadth of the huge country, and doubtless thousands more will. The big mistake was in offering moral encouragement to pro-democracy elements while still financially and politically supporting the dictatorship. The students thought they could count on Western support, the dictators knew they could. A recipe for disaster. 

I think former Hong Kong Governor, Chris Patten, has got it about right. Separate human rights from trade. You don't enhance human rights by wrecking a country's economy. Any Iraqi will tell you that. But at the same time, ignoring human rights issues for fear of harming trade is, once again, a recipe for disaster. Butter, yes. Guns, no. Trade delegations, yes. Hugs and handshakes with dictators on state visits, no. 

I wonder why the West never learned any lessons from the sudden and Western inspired collapse of the Soviet Union? I ask you, is the West 'safer' after winning the Cold War? I think not. And I wonder why the West wants to see the same fate befall China? The Soviet Union was moving in the right direction under Gorbachev--as indeed China is doing now under Jiang Zemin. Slowly, yes, too slowly for some. But it is moving the right direction. Be careful what you wish for, you might get it.