There were further signs this week that the regime in Jakarta simply does not understand the nature of legitimate political opposition. It pretends to be moving to greater democracy, but it is moving away from it. General Syarwan Hamid, the armed forces’ head of social and political affairs, has warned that opposition figure Megawati Sukarnoputri to stop making trouble, abandon attempts to run in next year’s election and regroup the following year.
“”She should not make trouble all the time, like opening a new party headquarters and then suing the government for closing it and so forth. It’s outrageous,” General Hamid said. General Hamid in effect speaks for the Suharto regime.
Local government authorities last week closed down the headquarters, saying it contravened planning laws and yesterday Megawati lodged a legal challenge to the closure. Earlier this year the Suharto regime engineered her ousting from the chair of the Indonesian Democratic Party.
The regime did not like the possibility that the party would do well at next year’s election embarrassing President Suharto. The regime will tolerate controlled opposition, but as soon a Megawati, daughter of Indonesia’s founding leader President Sukarno, became a focal point for effective opposition, it has abused its power to neutralise her. The effect, however, has been to give her greater support and increase the attention to defects in the Suharto government, particularly its propensity to give economic favours to members of the first family. It has also resulted in violence clashes between her supporters and the armed forces.
Ultimately there will be no joy for President Suharto in fuelling conflict through his attacks on Megawati. Rather he should reform his approach to government and stand on his economic achievements.