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“The World is Indonesia Now”
Indonesia has been there before.  And it took the country nine years to recover.
The wise and sensible Paul Krugman’s said: “the world is Indonesia now”. He was referring to Indonesia’s economical crises, which did hit Asia and particularly Indonesia, a decade ago. Like the US and Europe now, in ’97 it also was all about going for the quick buck , dealing in derivatives, speculation (against weak currencies then, against weak system banks now) and mismanaging the risks. Even the concept of crony capitalism may be applied in both cases: there is only a thin line between membership of boards of banks and membership of governments in Western capitals, like there was only a very thin line between the Suharto family and business.
“I read the news today oh boy”
For John Lennon ( “A Day in the Life” ) the news was about a lucky man who made the grade, a guy who blew his mind out in a car and four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire. But guess what was in the papers today? What were the headlines shouting? What do they think is the most urgent problem the world should know?
Yes indeed, you’re right:
The Guardian:”Republican convention thrown into chaos by hurricane Gustav”
The New York Times:”Republicans drop most Monday Convention action”
The Los Angelos Times: “Hurricane Gustav bears down on empty New Orleans”
Frankfurter Algemeine: “McCain: Wir müssen wie Amerikaner handeln’ (Mc Cain’s comment on Gustav: ‘We must act like Americans’)
Le Monde: “John McCain: investiture par temps d’ouragan” (John McCain: In Office by Hurricane)
You see? Everything is political. Even a tropical storm. In as long it is an American storm.
But to me it seems to be plain injustice if because of Gustav THIS political news of today would go relatively unnoticed by the world: “Indonesia seizes funds from Suharto family firm“. And on top of that: “Indonesia to examine more of Suharto’s son assets“
Because this is food for optimism.
A court in Guernsey did rule in favor of the Indonesian state to freeze some € 35 million on an account of the notorious Tommy Suharto. The government filed a new request on further disclosure of the assets of “Garnet Investment” , in it’s ongoing attempt to reclaim more embezzlement money from the Suharto family. This action came after last Friday the Bank Mandiri had been ordered to transfer approximately € 90 million from Timor Putra Nasional ( the not so very solid car company which has been sold to Vista Bella Pratama by Tommy Suharto) to a government account, minister Sri Mulyani Imdrawati said.
Scepsis always comes in handy, but the fact remains that corruption obviously is high on the Indonesian political agenda. Even if it turns out there is an opportunistic connection with next year’s elections – according to the polls SBY has to do his utmost to gain more popular support to have a chance to beat Megawati- I think this news is important ánd good news. A rare combination.
Update: Another successful example of anti graft policies: “The Corruption Court sentenced disgraced prosecutor Urip Tri Gunawan to 20 years in jail Thursday for taking a US$660,000 bribe to drop a major embezzlement case against fugitive tycoon Sjamsul Nursalim” (quoted from the Jakarta Post, 09/05/2008)
Does Democracy Further Corruption?
It’s a disconcerting idea. But it appears there are quite a number of witnesses for the prosecution.
The awful versatile, energetic and prolific rimafauzi, who usually is in a upbeat mood on her blog but never unwilling to aim at some blatant abuse neither, recently wrote a post which looked like a sincere angry pamphlet on Indonesian corruption (among many other failures of the young democracy). She makes the observation that this phenomenon didn’t diminish since the introduction of democracy, but became even much more widespread.
While at the outset I thought she overdid, at the recent conference “Indonesia ten years after- 1998 – 2008†Ari Kuncoro also had said in his contribution: “The number of bribe-takers has increased to such an extent that it is now more detrimental to economic efficiency than in the Suharto eraâ€. His explanation is that the democratic decentralization also “democratized” corruption. In stead of a “one stop central”, predictable bribe office ( Suharto’s family, the military top brass and some ethnic Chinese business conglomerates) which guaranteed the client the whole package, nowadays there’s a unpredictable, haphazard and diffuse, fragmented bribe collection system.
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A Death Foretold..2
After the riots in 1998 and a collapsing economy, Soeharto steps down as president. Soeharto, the general who seized power from Indonesia’s first president Soekarno. Soeharto’s reign was one with a very centralised government. And a military one as well. Soeharto’s precidency was highlighted by, aside from a relative long and stable economic period, several very dark pages.
And although Soeharto was no sweety, the Western countries did not object to his rule. While during his Orde Baru Indonesia experienced political purges and the deaths of millions of Indonesian communists and Chinese-Indonesians, and outlawing communist parties and usage of the Chinese language and names. And than there is a pending $1.5 billion civil corruption suit. All in all more than enough to make your head spin for the rest of your live. But this is common knowlegde.
Soeharto has become very ill in recent days. And in the last few days his situations has become critical. Soeharto has developed a life-threatening blood infection, after already having suffered from multiple organ failure. This is a condition you don’t want to wish on anybody. And now his condition has sparked a debate.