---------------------------------------------------------- FREE for JOIN Indonesia Daily News Online via EMAIL: go to: http://www.indo-news.com/subscribe.html - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 ---------------------------------------------------------- SUPANGKAT'S COLUMN: PAKISTAN MILITARY COUP, AN INSPIRATION FOR INDON.ARMY? A military coup d'etat in Pakistan is almost a tradition. Mainly because its geo- political paranoia with India on the problem of Jammu Kashmir. The military knew that this paranoia could be used as some kind of justification for a military take- over of power which could neutralize the civilian's resentment. And general Musharif did just that: he was supported by the fundamentalist Mus- lims for creating a guerilla pocket within Jammu Kashmir while PM Sharif at the request of President Clinton withdrew them and finally fired the chief general while he was on visit to Srilangka. We have to admit that there is no slightest analogy between the motives and the goals of the military in Pakistan and in Indonesia. But a coup d'etat certainly is a strong vibration too strong to be ignored by the beleaguered Indonesian Army who tried in vain to rehabilitate its image since the massacres in Aceh, East Ti- mor, in Ambon and even in Jakarta. Is desperation strong enough a motive to stage a coup when we had a first free and open election in 44 years? There is almost a deadlock in the MPR, apparently a game played by the fraction of the Armed Forces by way of divide et impera which could be used as a pretext to take over power one way of the other. Perhaps not a fullblood coup but some- thing in the spirit of a coup. Moreover, within a couple of days the Army's abortive coup led by general Nasu- tion on October 17, 1952 will undoubtly inspire some nutty Army officers. When Nasution stage a coup, he did not do a bloodshed, he just surrounded the Parliament and the Merdeka Palace with his infantry, pointing cannons to the buildings and demanded President Sukarno to abrogate the Parliament whom he saw as wasting the time by debating the national issues. It was only 7 years after independence and 3 years after the Dutch souvereignity hand-over. If Prabowo was still in the Army probably this is possible. Is there another Prabowo, perhaps a young colonel who are desperate enough to do the coup? It is inconceivable and General Wiranto or others are too smart to stage a coup right now, eventhough the economic and political situation is rife. Th Golkar is still loyal to the Army as ever but they are in big trouble within themselves. The rationale for a coup in Indonesia is very weak indeed. The desperados are not many and if there is any, they are lacking strong motivation for a coup d'etat. I hope I am not wrong on this one. New York, October 13, 1999. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 13 Oct 1999 jam 16:18:03 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
