Next door
I guess things have finally settled down next door.
Next door?
Indonesia. Looks like there won't be a military coup after all.
I beg yours ...
The standoff between General Wiranto and President Wahid has been resolved and Wiranto is to resign from cabinet. It was that close.
Close to what?
To being a particularly nasty situation.
Oh. I guess so.
Of course you know what those military fellas are like over there? Not like our boys at all. They're gun-totin' politicos. Cowboys. Shoot you soon as look at you. Nasty types. Especially the top brass. Bang, bang, you're dead. That's Indonesian politics for you.
They've got democracy now.
Sure have. Generalissimo Suharto has gone.
And about time too. I never liked the man. He was a bit too ... too ...
Brutal?
Yeah. A standover merchant. Threw his weight around a bit much, I thought. A real pushy type.
Well, he did orchestrate the killing of a million or so, I hear.
See what I mean. Good riddance. I was glad to see the back of him.
Now they've got democracy.
And it's about time too. I don't know how they could have put up with the army running things like that for so long. And it was beginning to get a bit embarrassing — what with the way they went on in East Timor.
And right on our doorstep too.
Next door. Too right. It's about time someone said enough was enough. That's the great thing about Australians — we never sit on the fence. If we think we can lend a hand ...
We do it!
In like Flynn. Generous to a T.
I thought that Christmas concert with Johnny Farnham was bloody marvellous.
Wasn't it though? Makes you feel right proud.
And Kylie ...
Wasn't she something?
It was some night.
I just hope those Indons don't go undoing all the good work we've done.
If they want to talk about military coups ...
They should keep it to themselves.
By Dave Riley
<dhell@ozemail.com.au>