From MIZZIMA News Group (r)

[mizzima@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

The Indonesian election and lesson for SPDC

By: MIZZIMA News Group
June 12, 1999

(Editorial)

June 7 election in Indonesia is a turning point for the people of
Indonesia who had lived 32 years of Mr. Suharto's authoritarian rule.
Though the final result of the election is not clear yet, the political
implications of the election itself will go further to other regimes in
South East Asia. The message may go particularly to the military regime
in Burma, namely State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) which is
trying to copy Suharto style of "democracy" for the people of Burma.

Indonesia's June 7 election is the first democratic election for the
Indonesians in 44 years. International independent observers noted the
election as free and fair one. Violence was surprisingly free during the
election. According to official figures, populist democratic leader Ms
Megawati Sukarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle is leading
with 40 per cent of the votes in the initial result. Observers say that
the next government could well be formed by Megawati's party with the
support of Islamic parties. 

It is the fact that the path to democracy in Indonesia, like in other
countries of the world, is painful and the tasks ahead for a democratic
government will not be easy either. But the people chose for it and
fought for it. Democratic political system is certainly better than
authoritarian system anywhere. The changes in Indonesia will have more
or less certain impacts on the democratic movement in Burma though the
things are somehow different in Burma's situation.

In Burma, the ruling military government organized a free and fair
election in 1991 and it was the first democratic election for the people
of Burma in 31 years. The democratic opposition party, namely National
League for Democracy (NLD) led by Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi
emerged as the winning party. It got landslide victory with more than 80
per cent of the total parliamentary seats. However, the military regime
refused to honor the result of the election. Instead, it continues to
crack down on the democratic movement in general and NLD in particular.

It continues to seek a dominant role for the army in future politics of
the country. It has been drafting a new Constitution for six years now
and it seems that the Burmese generals want to legalize Indonesia
old-style of military-dominated "guided democracy" in its new
Constitution.

But, the generals in Burma should have learnt (if they want to) some
lessons from the changes in Indonesia. Mr. Suharto, who ruled Indonesia
for 32 years without democracy but with corruption, had to step down in
May 1998 due to popular resistance. Mr. B.J. Habibie, Mr. Suharto's
unelected successor had to make some constructive changes and gave way
for the democratic election. A referendum to determine the future of
East Timor will be held on August 8. The army in Indonesia had forced
back from its established place in politics. Seats allocated in the
parliament (House of People Representatives) to the armed forces are
reduced from 80 to 38. The students are demanding for the complete
withdrawal of the military from the political scene. They have said that
working democracies do not have generals as ministers and legislators. 

If the ruling Golkar party honors this result of the election, Indonesia
will become world's third largest democracy after India and the United
States. No one would have imaged till last year that Indonesia will
change to this direction. And the wave of change always strikes on
neighbors too. It is the time now that the Burmese generals learn
lessons from the changes in Indonesia, big brother in the ASEAN, and the
Burmese army goes back to barrack and hands over power to the elected
democratic government in Burma.


By: MIZZIMA News Group
Tel./Fax. 91-11-5529817
Email. mizzima@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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The Indonesian election and lesson for SPDC


By: MIZZIMA News Group
June 12, 1999

(Editorial)

June 7 election in Indonesia is a turning point for the people of
Indonesia who had lived 32 years of Mr. Suharto's authoritarian rule.
Though the final result of the election is not clear yet, the political
implications of the election itself will go further to other regimes in
South East Asia. The message may go particularly to the military regime
in Burma, namely State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) which is
trying to copy Suharto style of "democracy" for the people of Burma.

Indonesia's June 7 election is the first democratic election for the
Indonesians in 44 years. International independent observers noted the
election as free and fair one. Violence was surprisingly free during the
election. According to official figures, populist democratic leader Ms
Megawati Sukarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle is leading
with 40 per cent of the votes in the initial result. Observers say that
the next government could well be formed by Megawati's party with the
support of Islamic parties.

It is the fact that the path to democracy in Indonesia, like in other
countries of the world, is painful and the tasks ahead for a democratic
government will not be easy either. But the people chose for it and
fought for it. Democratic political system is certainly better than
authoritarian system anywhere. The changes in Indonesia will have more
or less certain impacts on the democratic movement in Burma though the
things are somehow different in Burma's situation.

In Burma, the ruling military government organized a free and fair
election in 1991 and it was the first democratic election for the people
of Burma in 31 years. The democratic opposition party, namely National
League for Democracy (NLD) led by Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi
emerged as the winning party. It got landslide victory with more than 80
per cent of the total parliamentary seats. However, the military regime
refused to honor the result of the election. Instead, it continues to
crack down on the democratic movement in general and NLD in particular.
It continues to seek a dominant role for the army in future politics of
the country. It has been drafting a new Constitution for six years now
and it seems that the Burmese generals want to legalize Indonesia
old-style of military-dominated "guided democracy" in its new
Constitution.

But, the generals in Burma should have learnt (if they want to) some
lessons from the changes in Indonesia. Mr. Suharto, who ruled Indonesia
for 32 years without democracy but with corruption, had to step down in
May 1998 due to popular resistance. Mr. B.J. Habibie, Mr. Suharto's
unelected successor had to make some constructive changes and gave way
for the democratic election. A referendum to determine the future of
East Timor will be held on August 8. The army in Indonesia had forced
back from its established place in politics. Seats allocated in the
parliament (House of People Representatives) to the armed forces are
reduced from 80 to 38. The students are demanding for the complete
withdrawal of the military from the political scene. They have said that

working democracies do not have generals as ministers and legislators.

If the ruling Golkar party honors this result of the election, Indonesia
will become world's third largest democracy after India and the United
States. No one would have imaged till last year that Indonesia will
change to this direction. And the wave of change always strikes on
neighbors too. It is the time now that the Burmese generals learn
lessons from the changes in Indonesia, big brother in the ASEAN, and the
Burmese army goes back to barrack and hands over power to the elected
democratic government in Burma.


By: MIZZIMA News Group
Tel./Fax. 91-11-5529817
Email. mizzima@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


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