Sir, - The decision of General Suharto to instal B.J. Habibie as the new president of Indonesia is not unexpected. Having bled the country for the past 33 years, Suharto now installs his crony in order to protect his family's financial interests. However, it's an illwind that doesn't blow some good and there is an opportunity for the president-elect to move Indonesia towards a more open and democratic society. We are calling on the new government to immediately release all political prisoners, Indonesian and East Timorese. This should be the first step of the new administration in the promised political reform. We are also calling for the draconian laws enacted under the New Order of General Suharto to be repealed.
The recent deaths of students and rioters is all the more tragic because, beforehand, many had predicted that Indonesia was on the verge of a massive outpouring of frustration against the Suharto dictatorship. Despite repeated warnings, many leaders in democratic countries were prepared to adopt ostrich-like positions in the hope that the inevitable would not happen. Indonesia is at a crossroads and there is an enormous responsibility on the international community to fully support the calls of the pro-democracy movement for genuine political reforms.
Caution is urged before the Habibie government is welcomed to the free world. Recognition of his administration should be conditional on political reforms for the people of Indonesia and respect for the rights, under international law, of the oppressed people of East Timor.
The pro-deomcracy movement in Indonesia is to be congratulated for their courage in ridding themselves of clown-prince Suharto. - Yours, etc., Tom Hyland,
East Timor Ireland Solidarity Campaign, Dame Street, Dublin 2