Acoording to his enemies, there are roughly two reasons why K.H. Abdurrahman Wahid (or Gus Dur) was sacked last week: (1) he was accused as the supporter of independence movement of outer islanders (Acheh, Molucas, Borneo and West Papua); and (2) he was blamed to be incapable of running the country as Mr. President. And additional reason was the Brunai Darrusalam Grants for Indonesia scandal of corruption against him. Was he really?

In the context of Papuans' struggle for independence and in relation general to political situation in Indonesia, the answer to the last question above will be, "No, not really! He was literally kicked out by the Western powers (and their allies), as they did against Sukarno, the first Indonesian president and Megawati's father! The reason is simple, because both Sukarno and Wahid are not pro-Western leaders and because Megawati is!"

That is exactly what Ron Moreau says in Newsweek (August 6, 2001) "The new president has already made clear that her first priority is not to pursue top brass for human-rights violations." (p.27) She is determined to reform Indonesian military. This is her first priority. Secondly, her immediate goal, writes Moreau (ibid) is "to restart the flow of aid from the IMF that has been held up..." Two things she puts as the first targets: the military and the dependency on foreign aids. Both in contrast with what Wahid and Sukarno would have done in their first terms of the office as Presidents of Indonesia. Why military and foreign aids? is an interesting question that this article tries to answer.

Moreau continues, Megawati's husband, Taufiq Kemmas, who is also one of the cronies of Suharto, stated to Marzuki Darusman, former attorey general that, "He'is aiming for a leveling off all these aggressive actions taken against past perpetrators (Suharto and his cronies)" (ibid.) Wahid was blamed for corruption, and yet, Megawati's husband is not prepared to blame Suharto for his 32-year term corruption. What is the story?

Military, Suharto and his cronies, and foreign aids form an interesting triangular-politics of Megawati in her first term of office as the fifth president of Indonesia. In other words, this is the end of Wahid's efforts to promote human rights and democracy because he beleieved the lack of respect of human rights and the absence of democracy are two core causes of political crises in Indonesia. He knew that these were caused by the military control, well-trained and financially backed by the western capitalists who do not care about humans but who work for profits. Megawati, in contrast, has chosen a Suharto-approach: security first, unitary republic of Indonesia second, and finally foreign aids help the economy. In other words, military will secure the investments, and investments will bring in more money to Indonesia, and therefore there will be enough money for fighting against independence movements in the outer-islands of Indonesia or the non-Javanese islands. As long as investors are safe and make more profits, they do not really care about human rights because promoting human rights is a non-profit business but rather a profit-spending one. But she needs to ask though, "Did Suharto's security-approach successfully brought Indonesia to become a country with strong economic foundation? Who will benefit from this approach? What is the approach to benefit Indonesia now and tomorrow?


Three Theories behind Mr. Wahid's Impeachment

When any villagers with no primary school education in West Papua examine these all, they will of course ask: "What happened to the 32 years of corruption and political scandals in the whole Indonesia? Why can't people bother about Suharto's sins for 32 years? Why do they hate Gus Dur, not Golkar (Suharto's party)?" (There is an interesting case to analyse why Indonesians blame Gus Dur, not his political party the PKB, and why can't they blame Suharto as the ruler in power, but his political party Golkar.)

The first and strongest theory for Mr. Wahid's impeachment can be that Wahid is not a pro-USA or Western policies. He is not into capitalism or Westernisation of Indonesia. He is a traditional leader and a religious leader who cares more about human rights and humanity than profit-making politics. He knows long-term impacts of being the servants of capitalism, as did Sukarno. In short, he knew what he was doing very well for Indonesia, not Indonesia today, but for Indonesia tomorrow. He is the Sukarno of the new Indonesia; i.e., he puts the interests of Indonesia beyond the foreign interests. And of course, this kind of a leader is not wanted in by foreign capitalists.

The second theory may be that the former ruling party, Golkar did not get any chance at all to do anything politically in Indonesia during Gus Dur's leadership. The 32-year term of rule by Golkar had successfully established its roots all over the country. It has powerful and well-trained political leaders. During Wahid's leadership, they were all out of the political arena. Imagine if you have driven your own car to go to work for 32 years, and when a new minister of transport came into power, he managed to pass a law that forbids anyone driving cars to work by providing public transport instead. Imagine that you can still arrive on time with public transport, but because you are used to driving youself for 32 years, you will do everything you can to fight against the law. Golkar party has been so used to be in power for 32 years, and now it cannot do anything at all. Its leaders become powerless and jobless. It is acceptable thus to assume that Wahid's treatment to Golkar angered Golkar leaders and they did everything they could do to get him out. 

Theory number three is about his civil leadership supremacy over the military leaders. Wahid was the person that sacked General Wiranto, the Indonesian Army and Police (ABRI) Chief Commander. He is the person who drastically replaced all well-trained Generals (well-trained means received certificates of graduation either from Britain or from the USA. They are mostly from the Angkatan Darat). He is the person that sacked Gen. Prabowo Subianto, the son-in-law of Suharto. He is the person who sacked Gen. Bimantoro as the Police Chief Commander. When Theys H. Eluway met Gus Dur at Jalan Irian, Jakarta, he privately told him, "Let us get rid of military power first, you and me together must work hard to get them away from political arena. Then we can freely talk about what we can do with West Papua." He beleieved that freedom of expression and human rights could not be promoted in Indonesia if the army generals are still around the political scene. And he was absolutely right. 

In relation to theory one, we can ask, "Why did the USA that supports civil supremacy in politics allowed or even support Wahid's impeachment? Are they at all for democracy and human rights in Indonesia? If the answer is `Yes!' then Wahid is the person for this! But why?" First of all, do not forget, all Western-trained generals are not used in Wahid's leadership. And those who trainded them, of course, found it disturbing for them. Secondly, do not forget that he is not prepared to sell his country just for a penny because Wahid is not a capitalist, but he is a traditionalist, which is similar to socialism. And finally, therefore, Wahid puts the interests of Indonesia beyond the interests of other countries, including those of the USA. In contrast the USA puts its interests beyond the interests of any other nations on earth. Therefore, anyone who opposses them must not be leading any countries in the world.

Then one might ask, "Why foreign powers allowed or even sponsored to overthrow Suharto regime because he was a capitalist and he was the allies of the Western powers?" The obvous answer would be that, "Yes, he used to be a pro-Western leader, but in the last five years of his leadership, he had taken some significant steps to establish his own capitals and power in South East Asia. The longer he stays in power, the more he will create a now power-base in Asia against the West. Therefore, he must go." Therefore, the West must create a new puppet-leader to run the country. And that person is Megawati Sukarnoputri, the first daughter of the first Indonesian president.

Megawati thought she had fought for 32 years and she had won the battle, is she? Some Indonesians regard herself not a leader but an easy-to-be-led puppet. It depends on who will have the significant influence to lead her, either Golkar, Army, the Wests, outer islanders or Islam fundamentalists, all must fight for their interests.


If Wahid were still in power...

If Indonesia gave a chance for Wahid to be in power until 2004, he would have helped Indonesia to be Indonesia, as it wished to be in its independence declaration of 17 August 1945. He could have established even a very strong political base for Indonesia to rule the whole archipelago for another 50 years, if not 100 years, not merely politically, but more importantly economically.

If Wahid stayed in the Presidential Seat for his full term of office, some good things for Indonesia could have happened. The first possibility would have been that Mr. Wahid might have allowed West Papua to obtain its independence, politically, but with more economic ties with Indonesia rahter than with foreign capitalists. This more frightening for foreign capitalists than Indonesian political control over West Papua. Foreign multinationals milk out almost 100% of the natural resources in West Papua. For the USA, for example, it has an undisputable and full rights to take whatever it wants to take from West Papua, according to Rome Agreement of 30 September 1962, which among others gave full rights for the USA to exploit all natural resources available in West Papua forever. Indonesians must understand that foreign countries' support to Indonesian occupation of West Papua is nothing to do with their love for Indonesians and Indonesia, or because they do not want to see Indonesia to break into pieaces. It is more about what they can get out from NKRI, rather than what Indonesia or Indonesians can get out of it. The very same principle applies to Borneo, Moluccas and Acheh.

Another more dangerous for the West could have been that Wahid might successfully reconcile and unite all Indonesia with his peacefull and humanitarian approach and get all parties on board. Afterwards, he might have re-scheduled all investments in Indonesia, with more emphasis on investors from Indonesia and Asia, rahter than from far away USA or Europe. If any Western investors wanted to invest in Indonesia, it would have appeared that they should come through Australia as the only Western ally nation in the Asia-Pacific Region. If this was the case, then this is not something that the West would like to see happening. His moves were clear enough to come to such a conclusion, weren't they?

The third possibility is related to his humanitarian approach, rather than security approach of Suharto for 32 years. His approach already put some threats to many foreign investments in Indonesia. He allowed almost everybody to speak out for their rights. What could have happened if Papuans demanded their rights for compensation for Freeport operations in West Papua or if Papuans asked Freeport to re-examine its First Contract of Work signed without involving Papuans in April 1967 (two years prior to the 1969 Act of Free Choice in West Papua)? What would have happened if Achehnese and other parts of Indonesia with Western investments demanded the same? What could have happened if the people openly expressed their rights by demanding foreign investors to close down and Wahid approved them on the basis of humanity and human rights? Quite worrying! 

Some people blame him for his authoritarian behaviour. For example, changing the name Irian Jaya into (West) Papua without consultation with the People's Representatives in Jakarta. Including two of his best ministers, Dr. Mahfud (the first Defence Minister from the civil politicians) and Mr. Alwi Shihab, the foreign Minister. They blamed him for not listening to their advice. What advice? No one knows. But most probably in relation to Mr. Wahid's leadership behaviour and his approaches in dealing with various problems in Indonesia. Of course, he knows why he did these all, and definitely not for others, but for the best of Indonesia's future.


What each party will get out of his impeachment?

Each party blaming and taking Wahid out from the Presiential Palace will get something out of his impeachment. For the Golkar Party, it is obvious that Golkar has now regained its power, and Golkar is now ready to do whatever it can do to rule the country again as it did before for 32 years. Freedom of expression will be closed, human rights will not be respected, democracy will die soon. The 32-year term of Golkar will become a half century or more, and Indonesia will go nowhere, but will remain a country with full of corruption, colusion and nepotism. Indonesians will not get anything out of this, except the feeling of temporary security that West Papua will stay with Indonesia forever; - which is logically impossible. Indonesians who travel to foreign countries will find it shameful to acknowledge themselves as Indonesians. Many will deny their Indonesian nationalities. Indonesia has become a name of shame and will be so forever.

For Mr. Amin Rais' National Mandate Party (PAN), he will get more people into the ministerial positions and will have more words to say in ruling the country. But what he will not get for sure is what he had fought for in the past 5 years: a fair and just tax payment to Indonesia by multinational companies like Freeport Inc. in West Papua and Exxon Mobil in Acheh. He will not serve the interest of Indonesia as he wished. Most probably Ms President will listen to him, but multinationals won't. That is for sure. What is the mandate he carries in his party then? Unitary Republic of Indonesia without any respect to human rights? How can that be operational when the world's eyes seriously and eagerly watching to see further violations of human rights and other scandals?

For Ms Sukarnoputri's PDIP, she will have the Seat as the fifth President of Indonesia. Is that all? Yes, that is all she can get, nothing else. Why? She is not the person that positioned herself to the Seat, but other parties, even parties that she does not know did put her to be there, and they will play their roles to control and supervise her, so that their goals are achieved. Who are they? They are the Indonesian generals, including her previous enemy, Great Gen. Suharto and his Golkar Party. They are the Western powers, who want to see Indonesia dependent on the Western aids and economies, and who want to see Indonesian politicians to bow down on their feet. What a shame for a suposedly independent country for more than a half century!

For the PPP from which the Vise President, Hamzah Haz come from? Well, he has a strong basis around the country. But the world must remember that PPP is a Muslim Fundamentalist political party that wants Indonesia to be totally an Islam country. Even though Megawati is not a religious figure, she has an additional task to deal with the demands from the majority Indonesian citizens who want to see Indonesia applies Islam principles (Syariah Islam) in all political and social life of Indonesian people, disregard the fact of different socio-cultural backgrounds united within Indonesia since its independence. This is the party that works very closely with other Islam Fundamentalist party of Mr. Rais', PAN. PAN is the party that deploys Jihad troops all over Indonesia; a party that claims responsibility for humanitarian catastrophe in Moluccas. They were both set aside by Mr. Wahid as his concern was not on religious matters, but more on humanitarian and democratic agendas. But unfortunately they are now in power and a new question is emerging here, "Will Indonesians live together with varieties of religious backgrounds?"

These two parties successfully caused totally unecessary and shameful war between friends and relatives in Maloccas, which was beyond anyone's prediction. They successfully prolonged ethnic hatred and war in Borneo as well as further killings in Acheh. They managed deploying Jihad troops into West Papua but failed to causing Papuans fighting each other. With Golkar allies, they sponsored the bombings of churches in Jakarta and other parts of Indonesia and killed hundreds of Indonesian-Christians. Finally, they attacked Gus Dur with an insignificant financial scandal.

What about the Western powers? They will of course get more than 50% of the benefits from Ms Megawati's presidency. They will have their trained-generals on duties in support to the Western policies. If the army generals are on duties, they will make sure the security as well as safety of mining and logging areas such as Freeport operations in Timika, West Papua. They will sell more arms and amunitions to the army on duties. They will clam down independence movements and secure the mining and logging operations. They will approve military operations as "good" for the investors.

As a consequence, many Papuans and other outer-islanders will be killed. Moreau (ibid.) pinpoints this clearly. But the world will not give any gesture at all to the deaths of human beings. They will argue that human rights violations are internal matters of the Indonesian government.

In 1962, in return to its support to the Indonesia's military invasion to West Papua, the USA was given 100% or full right to exploit natural resources in West Papua, be it gold, be it copper, be it oil, and others. The mining operations carried out by Freeport MaCMoRan Inc. based in New Orleans, USA is the obvious example. Papuans call this as a political project of the USA in Asia-Pacific region. What did the Netherlands recieve as a compensation? Good trade relations and ABM AMRO Bank was said to be funded by the USA? No one clearly knows, but logically they cannot just leave their Netherlands Nieuw Guinea with empty hands. It is a shameful thing to do, of course, by a colonial power like the Netherlands. The Netherlands must have received compensation for giving away West Papua to Indonesia.

Not only in West Papua there is a political project, but many parts of the outer-islands share similar stories, and the beneficiaries are always foreigners, and unfortunately not Indonesians.

As a foreigner, I honestly found Mr. Wahid's approach of humanity and human rights as difficult for me to oppose. He was working in line with my mission. I found it difficult to claim that the struggle of Papuan peoples in West Papua is against human rights violations. It was easier for the world to assess that Wahid respects human rights and therefore, he will surely promote and protect human rights and promote democracy in West Papua. Therefore, I would have found it nowhere to stand and base my struggle on. The conclusion thus, would have been, "Just stay four more years with Indonesia, Mr. Wahid will surely sort it out!" But good news that he has gone, and now I have something to use to fight against Indonesia's rule over West Papua: Human Rights violations, caused by the Indonesian army and police and sponsored by foreign aids. Will Megawati's triangular politics keep her in the office? If so, for how long? Just wait and see...!