Hi Jim & all - my take is that Indonesia is always a military state! If the military junta - or General Wiranto, who is instrumental in getting Sarharto to step down - overtly seizes power, it may actually weaken its position. Think about it, there is some parallel between Indonesia domestic politics and that of the Serb, which uses a minority, or minorities, like the ethnic Chinese, Catholics and E Timorese, to bind the mindless national pride of the predominately Islamic Indonesians. However, when the military declares its own supremacy, the general population may realize that the "hunting dog's days are numbered if there is nothing more to hunt!" Thus, whatever happens to Habibie, I tend to believe there will always be a puppet to make Indonesia look like a civilian run democratic government.
On a separate track, another wild card is the considerable [petro] interest in the region
best, Bosco |
