“Indonesia ‘War Crimes’ General Seeks Election” – Times Headline
I’m not very interested in politics in Indonesia, or anywhere else. However, sometimes things seem so wrong that I feel compelled to comment. This is one of those times.
1998 pro-reform demonstrations: Prabowo “wanted” . . . but not for vice president.
Many Balinese voters feel an emotional attachment to Megawati, because one of her grandparents was Balinese. Although her religion is Islam, and her partial “Balinese-ness” is irrelevant to the issues the country and the province of Bali face in the years ahead, still large numbers of voters in Bali feel empassioned support for her.
Riots targeting ethnic Chinese, Jakarta, 1998
Her running mate, Prabowo, was a key Soeharto crony and a man implicated in a variety of abuses of power, including of having a role in the massacre of thousands of ethnic Chinese in May 1998. He fled the country illegally on a private yacht after Soeharto’s fall. In 1998, while still a high ranking general in charge of the country’s special forces, he was ousted from the armed forces following an investigation into his role in the abduction and torture of opposition activists. The list goes on and on. It is shocking that a man with his record could stand for election in any country. It is surprising that he is a free man at all, and has managed to sidestep the processes of justice for so long.
“MISSING”: Some of those abducted in the 1990s by Kopassus under Prabowo.
Read the following report in the Times (UK), for starters. The article is balanced and low-key, in the style of the Times. The full story of Prabowo’s alleged overt and covert activities is far more frightening. Just Google around a bit, or pull up archives from the 90s to find out more, if you’re not convinced by the Times piece:
Indonesia “war crimes” general Prabowo Subianto seeks election
Is this headline libelous, or is it an imperative call to action? You decide.
You can help the newly-empowered voters of Indonesia to make wise choices by talking with the Balinese who you know about the Megawati-Prabowo ticket, about the election in general, and about their powers and responsibilities as voters. Even if they feel a sentimental devotion to Megawati, the shadow of Prabowo may be more than enough to steer their votes toward a safer choice.
Does a vice president really matter? Yes. Recall Yusuf Kalla’s significant impact in recent years. And as vice president, he has been working with a strong president. Prabowo would be working with a far weaker one. Megawati has already proven she is the opposite of a strong president. So Prabowo would have an “access all areas” pass if Megawati is elected.
Furthermore, the sentimentality of the Balinese and others for Megawati may split the votes that would go to SBY-Boediono, and put Kalla in power as president. Remember, Kalla was behind the anti-pornography bill and other legislation pandering to factions that promote Islamicisation of Indonesia, bonding of religion and government, and curtailment of human rights.
So don’t just sit there and watch the story unfold. The election is on 8 July. There’s no time to waste. Start talking.
Politicians are scary all over the world, but military are even more… Mixing Military and politics we all know were it finally ends, it would not be the first time in the history of the world…
You talk about Prabowo, but what about Wiranto?
Fortunately SBY who was also military, was more in the UN and diplomatic way than in the opression and abuse side.
This is sad for this beautiful country, unfortunately those can understand all this are too few to take any decision…
Thanks for you attitude and compromise, but we cannot do much, we are just watchers of this shameful action…
Thanks for the comment, Carlos.
Mixing religion and politics generally doesn’t turn out so well either.
Wiranto’s ticket with Kalla doesn’t garner much sympathy from me, although that won’t matter a whit, as I can’t vote. That said, I feel Wiranto’s “conversion” is somehow more convincing than Prabowo’s. Funny I would say that, after watching Wiranto sing “My Way” in a leather jacket on a TVRI variety show celebrating TNI’s anniversary. That would be in late 1998 or early 1999 as I recall. Surreal it was.
Everyone can do something. The world is more and more becoming an open forum for discussion and exchange. That’s the real democracy. Talk, exchange, conversation, understanding . . . and making choices.
We all participate, whether we want to or not. Whether we know it or not.
By not participating, you are making a choice, and therefore participating in the global discourse, by speaking with your silence. Is that a choice you can be proud of, or perhaps you might choose to participate in another way?
Cheers,
Susi
Dear Susi:
I also remember that embarrassing image of somebody of that kind in those times singing “My Way” that was printed in my mind… I already knew who he was…
I cannot vote here or in my country, here they won’t let me, there they with their manners also don’t let me support anybody… Proud of it? Not at all…
I try to be politically concerned, but to open other’s eyes… This is how i like participating in this world… Opening truths or facts hidden or misused that many people sometimes just believe “as is” without trying to discern if it’s just a lie or not…
Unfortunately, most of the times, reality told (starting by the media) is a big fake… Since 9-11 it’s been clearer than ever… Now politicians from allover the world don’t care anymore in hiding their interests and wills…
This morning, I followed your advice of making campaign pro-cleanliness in politics with my gardener; I asked him if he did know who Wiranto and Prabowo were. I was happily surprised how he answered me, I knew that even being lowly educated he was a sensitive person, but his answer and explanation fully filled by far all my expectations… Maybe this means that things are starting to change in Indonesia from the bottom: wong cilik in Javanese…
This midday in a warung where me and my wife were having lunch, and another Javanese worker who was eating by our side COMPLAINED openly to the other people about the corruption cases and how they influence this country’s performance. Once again in a day I felt pleased because I could feel one more time that something is changing in this country…( as you’ll know, a Javanese person, by culture, never ever would express himself openly and less in public, and more if his expression is a deep criticism…
Thank you for open this talk! Hope that’s worthwhile for anybody else…
Best regards.
BTW, I forgot to mention that unfortunately in Spain we know very well what it means to mix religion and politics… After Franco, not only people left religion, but God also, and that’s sad…
God is more than a Bible, a Koran or a mantra; God means respect, beauty, love… It doesn’t understand languages or borders… But in Spain talking about God is in many ambients “taboo”, and the more “intellectual” the worse the situation…
From black to white… We were the most Catholic, and now the most atheists; very Spanish, isn’t it?