The Indonesian tangle

WHILE ON A foreign tour, the Indonesian President, Mr. Abdurrahman Wahid, was forced to handle an explosive politico- military problem back home. Both a U.N. panel and a national Human Rights probe held the former chief of the armed forces, Gen. Wiranto, along with a team of senior officers, responsible for the atrocities in East Timor after the people in that former Portuguese colony voted for independence from Jakarta. There was a specific recommendation that Gen. Wiranto and the top army brass be investigated for their role in the orchestrated violence in East Timor last year. The former armed forces chief is now the Coordinating Minister for Politics and Security Affairs. The President, who met international investors at Davos and is currently on a visit to some European States, announced that he would call for the resignation of Gen. Wiranto from his Cabinet, so that he could be investigated. This message from Mr. Wahid was subsequently conveyed to the General through the Defence Minister. But Gen. Wiranto refuses to budge. He will probably wait for the President's return before announcing his plans. It has been his argument that the army, under him, was responsible for the peaceful conduct of the `popular consultation' on the status of East Timor. The violence that erupted after the vote was spontaneous.

Unfortunately, mass graves have been unearthed in both East and West Timor. U.N. investigators have found evidence of the atrocities of the pro-Jakarta militia in East Timor and alleged that these groups enjoyed the backing of the Indonesian armed forces. What is worse, till the arrival of the multinational peacekeepers, the army did precious little to contain the violence or protect the innocent East Timorese from the militia. But the question is what was the Government in Jakarta and the then President, Mr. B. J. Habibie, doing? If it was a lame duck regime whose writ did not run in the country, then the armed forces were the only authority in command. But if Gen. Wiranto and his colleagues can provide evidence of any instructions from the then President or his Government, it can alter the picture. A fair and detailed investigation is certainly called for. But the international community must remember that anything that can undermine the authority of the new President or create conditions for a military coup must be avoided at this juncture. The military is too powerful to be antagonised. The U.N. has done well to decide against an international tribunal, so that Jakarta can handle the problem on its own. Mr. Wahid must return to the country and deal with the crisis in person.

On his way back from Europe, the Indonesian leader will visit India. Soon after assuming office last year, Mr. Wahid mooted the idea of an `Asian five' league, which will include India and China. Having visited the U.S. and China already, and now parts of Europe, he will be in New Delhi to forge a new equation between two of the four most populous countries of the world. Despite a warm and personal rapport between late President Sukarno and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, ties between India and Indonesia have remained lukewarm since the mid-1960s, when Mr. Suharto took over. Indonesia may be in turmoil now and will take a few years to stabilise. But now is the time for India to build a new and strategic partnership with Jakarta. Both Mr. Wahid, and his Vice-President, Ms. Megawati Sukarnoputri, have sent out the right signals for forging such an equation. During this week's visit by Mr. Wahid, both the Centre and Indian industry must initiate the first step to build a new relationship and follow it up through meaningful measures that can drive home the message. New Delhi needs a political, economic and military partnership with Indonesia as it strives to rebuild its polity and economy.

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