Much of the commentary since Suharto’s death on Jan. 27 has focused on his economic legacy. Of late, triumphalist accounts seem to be eclipsing more nuanced assessments, as observers debate whether overall economic growth during his 32-year tenure overshadowed the nepotism and corruption that marred his rule. Suharto’s political and human rights legacy, wrongly pushed to the sidelines, is at least of equal importance in assessing his record and the challenges facing Indonesia today.
Megawati Sukarnoputri, Indonesia's new president, has a mess on her
hands. The economy is in tatters, regions are in revolt and the
government has almost broken down. So what did Mrs. Megawati do the
weekend before becoming president, as the political crisis reached its
height? She went to see "Shrek," the animated movie about a friendly
ogre.
One year after pro-Indonesia militias, backed by the Indonesian army, killed, burned and looted their way across East Timor in response to the August 30, 1999, referendum on independence, not a single perpetrator of those crimes has been brought to trial. If justice is to be done, the international community needs to be less naive about the Indonesian judicial system.
On Aug. 30, barring further delays, the people of East Timor will vote on whether they wish to remain part of Indonesia as an autonomous region or form an independent state. Virtually all eligible voters, almost 450,000, have now registered, despite violence and intimidation from Indonesian army-backed groups to prevent them from doing so. But there are worrying signs that violence could yet mar the election and its aftermath.
Much of the commentary since Suharto’s death on Jan. 27 has focused on his economic legacy. Of late, triumphalist accounts seem to be eclipsing more nuanced assessments, as observers debate whether overall economic growth during his 32-year tenure overshadowed the nepotism and corruption that marred his rule. Suharto’s political and human rights legacy, wrongly pushed to the sidelines, is at least of equal importance in assessing his record and the challenges facing Indonesia today.
Megawati Sukarnoputri, Indonesia's new president, has a mess on her
hands. The economy is in tatters, regions are in revolt and the
government has almost broken down. So what did Mrs. Megawati do the
weekend before becoming president, as the political crisis reached its
height? She went to see "Shrek," the animated movie about a friendly
ogre.
One year after pro-Indonesia militias, backed by the Indonesian army, killed, burned and looted their way across East Timor in response to the August 30, 1999, referendum on independence, not a single perpetrator of those crimes has been brought to trial. If justice is to be done, the international community needs to be less naive about the Indonesian judicial system.
On Aug. 30, barring further delays, the people of East Timor will vote on whether they wish to remain part of Indonesia as an autonomous region or form an independent state. Virtually all eligible voters, almost 450,000, have now registered, despite violence and intimidation from Indonesian army-backed groups to prevent them from doing so. But there are worrying signs that violence could yet mar the election and its aftermath.