Prabowo Subianto Speaks
Sep 29th, 2006, in News, by PatungConspiracy theories and paranoia from former military commander Prabowo Subianto.
Lieutenant General (retired) Prabowo Subianto, former head of Kopassus, the army special forces unit, from 1995 until the fall of Suharto in 1998, complains that Indonesia, its government and people, is constantly subject to foreign attempts to weaken it.
There are certain world powers who openly say that Indonesia will split up, that there will be civil war, and so on.
The fact that the Indonesian archipelago is located near several important sea lanes and that it has great amounts of natural wealth and resources means that some countries will always seek to weaken it, he says. They fear that if Indonesia has large deposits of uranium then the country will one day seek to build a nuclear industry.
Prabowo Subianto & SBY.
The monetary crisis of 1997-98 had been planned by foreigners as one way of weakening Indonesia. He named Michael Camdesus of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as one of the conspirators. He added that both Camdesus and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher both wrote in their memoirs that they had wished to see the reign of General Soeharto come to an end. Therefore they schemed to create a monetary crisis in Indonesia to bring about their wishes. He didn’t make any mention of Jews however.
16 Comments on “Prabowo Subianto Speaks”
-
Riccardo says:
that medication he’s taking sounds like powerfully good stuff, even better than the ram. Of course he has needed his meds ever since the FALINTIL boys blew his balls off in the 80s.
-
Modern Pitung says:
Yeah, the British imperialists hated Suharto so much that they had Suharto knighted (Knight of the Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath) and gave the country as many Scorpion tanks as the military could use.
And the IMF only propped up his government for 30 years.
-
Hassan says:
yeah, I read about this, the world’s capitalist powers got very upset with soeharto because of his national car project (mobnas), a project that blatantly not in accordance with WTO regulations. soeharto’s persistence to go ahead with that project, causes outrage within the western capitalists. they swore they will “punish” soeharto, and they did. with the help of Soros, the IMF and world bank, of course.
moral lesson: never get in the way of the capitalist’s cashflow, or you’ll pay the consequenses.
-
barracuda says:
Everyone knew who is Prabowo, and who is Suharto ( Prabowo father in law ), they are only the Puppets of United States of America. If the time end, they have to go, the same thing the one in power now in Indonsia….they are all STUPID AND CORRUPTION.
-
danny tarigan says:
Dear Readers.
Friendly speaking we really need a state man like pak Prabowo, though, brave, intellectual and intelligent , humble and ready to share his belonging to our country. He will not corrupt like others and to build this nation, we need a strong and consistency guy with delivering orders and command strictly. If not this nation will be collapse and separating likes Uni Soviet or countries in Africa. So let us support and back up him to be the President of the year 2014-2019. Bravo and Merdeka.
-
Riki Purnomoz says:
Indonesia is a democratic country, its not a big problem who the leader is, for its a choice of the people. Bad and idot people tend to choose a bad and corrupt leader, let them savor their choice. The fact is, politicians are another kind of criminals, they commit their crime with dignity. To expect something good from a politician is the effect of the failure of education the people of most developing countries have been suffering. But we need politicians however bad they are, because state is a criminal organization, and the only people can manage it is the criminals. Let them do their business, and we do ours. Corrupt official is good for business, especially for foreign investment, they can bypass regulations by just a certain amount of bribery. So forget the politicians, and do our own business.
-
berlian biru says:
He has a point about attempts to break up the country.
For some reason foreign observers have throughout the history of the Republic regularly predicted its imminent break up, while foreign governments have on occasion actively assisted break up attempts.
I struggle to find examples of another nation (the Soviet Union maybe) that outsiders have always been so convinced is one step away from territorial break up.
-
while foreign governments have on occasion actively assisted break up attempts.
I am pretty aware of some foreign governments (my own included) actively and passively assisting in the expanding the Republic. The shameful episodes of East Timor and Papua come to mind. There was no doubt some residual resistance by the Dutch but others?
-
There was no doubt some residual resistance by the Dutch but others?
The Dutch in 1945-49, there was nothing remotely “residual” about it, it was the entire basis of their campaign against the Republic and damned near succeeded.
The US (in conjunction with the British and other neighbouring nations) in Sumatra, the Moluccas and elsewhere throughout the Republic over the course of the 1950’s and early 60’s.
Whatever about Australia’s role in the initial takeover of East Timor, that nation’s role in extricating what the Indonesians regarded, rightly or wrongly, at the time as one their provinces was seen by many Indonesians as another example of outside nations interfering in Indonesia’s internal affairs.
Therefore as I said Prabowo has a point, western nations have past form in trying to undermine Indonesian unity.
There is furthermore a continual undertone in the western media (I can provide several examples offhand when I am no doubt, tiresomely, challenged to do so), which frequently emerges at times of national crisis, that Indonesia is some form of artificial construct that is on the verge of breakup (or in the case of Papua and East Timor should be actively encouraged to break away).
This is something that I do not see with regard to similar nations like China, Brazil, India or many much less cohesive nations in Africa.
-
timdog says:
Yep, the old “Indonesia is on the brink of fragmenting line” is one generally propounded by the half-informed – well-read-and-ever-so-earnest tourists, regular business visitors with better-than-average engagement, and fly-by-night journalists with no language skills. The same people tend to tout a crude version of “Javanese colonialism” too…
But if you go one step further and actually examine the hypothesis you see that Indonesia’s very fragmented and disparate nature is precisely what makes it so very unlikely that it would ever come to pieces…
There’s no fragment really big or discrete enough to go it alone, or indeed to want to. I mean how, where, and on what basis would you carve up, say, Kalimantan? A Chile-esque littoral state populated by Malays, a Republic of Dayakistan holding all the resources in the interior, and a Chinese city-state in Singkawang.
Or let’s say Sumatra goes it alone as one lump – how long d’you reckon that’d last?
Nusa Tenggara? Florensian Catholics, Sasak Muslims, Sumbanese ancestor worshippers? An independent nation on Pulau Sabu?
The one and only bit really set up to go it successfully alone would be Java, and… ah, you see?Once you realise this, and once you realise that the “Javanese colonialism” thing is, at the very least, grossly over-simplified, you see that Indonesia was never really all that likely to fragment.
A nation state, once it comes into being, is a phenomenally resilient thing (if it really is a nation-state, rather than an empire, and Indonesia, in most of its parts and despite what some would claim, is the former rather than the latter), no matter how many problems it has.
It’s a shame for the people of Timor that the Indonesians themselves didn’t realise this fact.
-
It’s a shame for the people of Timor that the Indonesians themselves didn’t realise this fact.
That the Indonesian army frequently behaved with appalling brutality in East Timor and in Papua, and treated the inhabitants not, as they were duty-bound to do, as Indonesian citizens but as some sort of conquered people is obvious and will always remain a shameful stain on the history of that organisation.
In this the Indonesian military behaved with the same pig-headedness as the British to a much lesser extent did in Northern Ireland and the French did to a similar extent in Algeria. Armies engaged in guerrilla wars will rarely bring honour to their nations’ colours.
However I am often bemused at the idea, propounded by so many western observers, that the incorporation of East Timor into Indonesia was in and of itself some sort of singularly immoral act.
It wasn’t, it was actually the obvious solution to resolve the problem of the fag ends of the Portuguese empire. India swallowed up Goa as China did Macau, no one batted an eyelid, for Indonesia to do the same in Timor was hardly exceptional and western backing for the move should hardly be regarded as the acme of Kissengerian Machiavellianism.
There was after all a significant minority of Timorese themselves who supported the idea. It was the inept handling of the issue by the Indonesian army, and the terms “inept handling” and “Indonesian army” too often go together, that turned what should have been a minor administrative formality into a generation-long diplomatic and humanitarian disaster for the peoples of both nations.
Thankfully that disaster is in the past and through the generosity of the Timorese and the willingness of the Indonesians to atone for past wrongs (mostly, I did mention the Indonesian army’s ineptness didn’t I?) the relations between the two nations have never been healthier or more harmonious.
-
Curious terminology “incorporation” ? It was no less than an invasion and occupation pure and simple. That in some views it was a clean up of the “fag ends” and was willing aided by a number of Western Nations still checking under the beds for reds makes it no less so.
There was after all a significant minority of Timorese themselves who supported the idea
Certainly not the 20% of the population that that disappeared over the course of the occupation and certainly not those with relatives taken to the rape camp at Aturo. Of those left, well 80% certainly decided that they wanted no part of the Republic when given the choice to choose, so not sure how much of a “significant minority” is left
India swallowed up Goa as China did Macau, no one batted an eyelid, for Indonesia to do the same in Timor was hardly exceptional and western backing for the move should hardly be regarded as the acme of Kissengerian Machiavellianism.
No sure that anyone said that, in fact the counter point was being made that rightly or wrongly (ok wrongly and shamefully) that Western Nations in fact actively assisted in the expansion of the Republic in the case of East Timor and in the farcical UN hand over of Papua. It was not Kissengerian Machiavellianism but rather moral cowardice brought about by fears of the communists hordes where the ends justifies the means when in fact the “ends’ and the “means’ were a disgrace.
the willingness of the Indonesians to atone for past wrongs
Sorry atone?? Who? I can only recall one successful trial for a militia murderer? In fact the situation remains that Indonesia may end up with President who is unable to travel overseas without fear of arrest for war crimes.
Indeed, I do agree that relations between the two Nations are far better than one would imagine. Then again why not? Indonesia suffered no sanctions nor recriminations and what choice does a pragmatic East Timor have.
(or in the case of Papua and East Timor should be actively encouraged to break away).
In the case of Papua, I think you find far more of the press revolves around gaining access and imploring Indonesia to act with a modicum of human decency in the province. Instead of blaming others there is no doubt the vast majority of the problem is created by the Republic herself. As for East Timor, seriously??? Invade, Occupy, Terrorise and murder. Just how long did you want the world to look the other way?
As someone who has spent some time in the province both before and after, I find it amazing (in a very sad way) that anyone could even suggest that the status quo could have remained. For those who think the occupation and the militia groups were welcome by any significant part of the population, take a walk in the province and suggest such things. I would suggest a one way ticket is all you will need. I very nearly got hacked to death as unbeknown to me, the picture of my previous “dive” guide was also a militia leader. That alone almost cost me very dearly (which would have be ironic considering my position on Tim Tim.
As for this poor bugger me everyone is only picking on Indonesia thing. Let’s see, China and Tibet, Taiwan. China and its very active attempts at breaking up sovereign states in Africa as we speak, Balkans just to name a few.
-
Not sure what point you think you’re addressing in that screed.
The Indonesians behaved badly in East Timor, check.
Unfortunately they still do in Papua, check.
Most nations in the world didn’t really give a toss about East Timor, check.
The Indonesians left a dozen years ago, it’s past history now, check.
I pretty much said all that in my post.
Just for the record, if anyone’s exploiting Timor Leste these days it certainly isn’t Indonesia, but there’s a certain large wealthy nation to the south who’s behaviour is fairly cynical these days.
-
Just for the record, if anyone’s exploiting Timor Leste these days it certainly isn’t Indonesia, but there’s a certain large wealthy nation to the south who’s behaviour is fairly cynical these days.
I assume you are talking natural resources. Of course, we need to ignore the fact that the revenue sharing agreement under the Indonesian Occupation was far more lucrative than the current 90:10 split (90 to Tim Tim). If that is not what you are talking about then I have no idea of what point you are making. Oh you may wish to check the Indonesian sea claims before you press too hard on this one.
As for the other points, well what can I say, happy to let them stand as they are. Although referring to what happened in TL as past history is a bit curious when we have potential Presidents with significant cases to answer over what occurred there. History would appear to be colliding with the present.
-
Australia’s position on Timor Leste is awkward, in one hand its politicians are trying to accomodate their constituent aspiration to gain vote, in other hand, what they have been doing will harm australia’s long stategic policy. Indonesia is a very important country to australia, both in economic and in defense matters. Australia needs strong Indonesia to serve as bumper state to curb PRC’s influence in the region. Weak Indonesia means australia will always depend on US for its security. In the past Australian people had a very smart and long visioned attitude toward the importance of Indonesian position to Australia, they realized that indonesia will always be a long strategic partner, so they had a pro indonesia stand in post WWII conflicts. Indonesia and India are the unsubtituted bullwark to fend the chinese threat.
Comment on “Prabowo Subianto Speaks”.
Copyright Indonesia Matters 2006-2023
Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Contact
From Wikipedia:
He may not be crazy after all, knowing how our political system works his theories may be true! Maybe he needs to look inwards rather than outwards.