Indonesia: Who’s on Trial?

I WAS INSTRUCTED BY THE PRESIDENT, read the headline in a Djakarta newspaper. The words heralded the testimony of onetime Central Bank Minister Jusuf Muda Dalam, 52, who last week became the first of President Su karno’s former Cabinet members to be put on trial by the new regime of General Suharto.

Jusuf was charged with just about everything, from having six wives—two more than the Islamic law allows—to embezzling $10 million from the country’s treasury. But the intent of the trial seemed broader than simply bringing Jusuf to justice. It apparently marked the start of a campaign by Indonesia’s new rulers to undermine Sukarno’s in fluence by linking him to his ministers’ misdeeds. For one thing, the prosecution charged that Sukarno had encouraged Jusuf to use his influence with importers to collect “contributions” for Sukarno’s Fund of the Republic, which had financed the construction of prestige projects. And from a witness came testimony that the Bung had ordered him to hand over a luxurious house to a voluptuous film star.

In a sense, Sukarno himself had triggered the trial by becoming so assertive in recent weeks. At last month’s Inde pendence Day celebration, Sukarno flatly denounced the new regime’s decision to rejoin the United Nations and to end konfrontasi with Malaysia, and called for a return to his old policies. His defiance stirred his followers in Ban dung to attack anti-Sukarno student groups, killing one anti-Sukarno youth, and setting off retaliatory riots in Djakarta. Fearful that people-packed Java (pop. 70 million) might erupt in full-scale riots, General Suharto ordered the Djakarta students to cool it and started the trials instead.

Whether the former bank chief’s dis closures would tarnish Sukarno’s image with the Indonesian masses is questionable. But General Suharto was patient. Scheduled for trial are 14 more former Cabinet members, including onetime Deputy Premier Subandrio, who, say military investigators, masterminded the plot with Sukarno’s support—to steer Indonesia into Peking’s camp via last October’s abortive Communist coup.