BY JOHN GAUCI
SYDNEY — On April 6, 140 people gathered in the Resistance Centre to hear speakers discuss the political crisis in Indonesia. The event was organised by Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor. "In May 1998, Indonesian dictator Suharto was forced out but the tremendous suffering continues", said Max Lane, ASIET national chairperson told the meeting.
"The state apparatus is being used against the people of Aceh, West Papua and the Indonesian people themselves. The instruments of global capital are waging an all out attack on the Indonesian people through the policies of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank policy", Lane said.
Lane explained that these attacks are taking place on three fronts. Firstly, the forcing of the Indonesian government into further debt. Secondly, through trade "liberalisation", which "is causing disaster in Indonesia by ending restrictions on the import of things like rice and sugar". Farmers cannot afford to grow rice because of cheaper imports from the USA and Canada. The third attack is the privatisation of state-owned companies and the pricing of basic services so that they are unaffordable for the majority of people.
"What has made these attacks even worse is that they come on top of a 30 year dictatorship. The economic planning carried out by Suharto is better described as a planned rip-off", Lane said. "Education was wrecked during the Suharto period, and the process of scientific inquiry smashed. The ideology permeating all sectors of society was one of self-enrichment in its most barbaric form. The rule of law was subordinated to maximise the elite's ability to enrich themselves."
Lane pointed out that there have been two responses from the elite to these attacks by the Western financial institutions. "The elite's main response is a desperate attempt to ensure that the government complies with IMF requests. Many of the elite say IMF requests are not being carried out rapidly enough. The second is to try to stave off mass revolt. Fuel prices were restricted because of the government's fear of the masses' response if it fully implemented them."
The crisis has created an increasing loyalty to traditional leaders and a new rise in nationalism among the masses, such as in West Papua and Aceh. There is also an increase in the organisation of the labour movement and a growing opposition to Suharto's Golkar party and the remnants of the Suharto regime.
"The People's Democratic Party are demanding that the parliament be disbanded and new elections held. Building a mass movement to carry this out won't be easy. Establishing a people's power movement is essential to counter the right-wing forces", Lane said.
George Aditjondro, a lecturer at Newcastle University, also spoke. He told the meeting that "two opposing forces exist in Indonesia. Those opposing Wahid and those supporting Wahid. The real struggle is not to topple Wahid but for total reform. Suharto's three pillars of power remain intact. These are Golkar, the military and the Suharto oligarchy — the 25 families that have siphoned off enormous wealth."
Aditjondro explained that "there is a multi-party competition for assets. They are building their war chests for campaigns. The anti-Wahid forces' real agenda is to create more space to seize assets. West Papua is a battleground to divide spoils amongst the major parties. Megawati's Sukarnoputri's party is competing for 6 million hectares of timber formerly controlled by Suharto."
Both Lane and Aditjondro agreed that solidarity is needed in Australia for the Indonesia's democratic movement. The solidarity movement pressure needs to continue to campaign to force the Australian government to end its military ties with Indonesia.