Indonesia’s Problems

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32073, 22 August 1969, Page 10

Indonesia’s Problems

President Suharto’s task in Indonesia—like Mrs Gandhi’s in India—is to preserve a political entity while the slow and painful process of building up the economy proceeds. Indonesia is celebrating its twenty-fourth anniversary in penurious independence. Thanks mainly to the Army, civil order is maintained. General Suharto has nevertheless thought it necessary to warn against any attempt by the Communists to reorganise as a party. The Government appears to be taking a calculated risk in planning the release of some 70,000 alleged Communists, many of whom have probably been detained since the abortive attempt to seize power in 1965, although they may actually have had no part in it The ruthless reaction to that attempt—in which, according to some estimates, 250,000 to 1,000,000 people were massacred—must still be keeping bitter animosities alive. Much of the killing in 1965 amounted to little more than paying off old scores, the Chinese suffering as much as party members. Yet Communist guerrillas are still active, in Sumatra and in east and central Java. It is understandable, therefore, that the Government should be following a policy of piecemeal releases; liberated prisoners are being scattered in relatively small island colonies throughout the archipelago. The Government seems at least to be attempting their rehabilitation; and it is to be hoped that General Suharto’s plea for tolerant acceptance of them will bear fruit Whatever their political views, it is better to have these thousands of Indonesians back in productive occupations than to maintain them, at enormous cost, as political prisoners. Economic improvement necessarily is still a major goal of policy. General Suharto has quietly rid himself of as many of the “ political ” generals as possible, by a reshuffle of commands which gave them postings well away from Djakarta. One of his more interesting innovations, as an economy measure, has been to use Army units in harvesting and in building roads, schools, and bridges. A strong and disciplined Army is essential for the maintenance of order; but it nonetheless seems anomalous that troops should be doing civilian work when the Republic’s four million unemployed—with perhaps three million more only partly employed—could provide a labour force adequate for any task. The Communists, moreover, are not the Government’s only worry. There are several separatist movements —notably in Sumatra and the Celebes—to which may yet be added West Irian if, despite the outcome of the “ act of free choice ”, a continuing association with Indonesia is resisted.

A return to a democratic form of government in Indonesia seems indefinitely remote. The task of reconstructing the economy, including the expansion and diversification of industry—largely through external aid—will take years, during which a rigid discipline will-have to be maintained. The Government has been encouraged by a bountiful harvest this year; but the preservation of order in widelyseparated regions must be a daunting task, when lack of employment is affecting approximately a third of the working population.