At the very least, the military has been passive as violence has erupted across the archipelago. John MacDougall, an anthropology researcher working in Lombok, witnessed the torching of six churches in an hour and a half last week. Many in Maluku believe that the local killing and destruction ultimately trace to a political struggle taking place in distant Jakarta. Indonesians rarely accept the most straightforward explanations. This, after all, is the land of the wayang, the shadow puppets that radiate magic and mystery.
Concrete proof is scarce, but circumstantial evidence is accumulating.
Last week Tamrin Amal Tomagola, a sociologist at the University of Indonesia who has been involved in reconciliation efforts in Maluku, handed the armed forces a list of people suspected of stirring up trouble in the province. He believes that business associates of Suharto are providing funds to provocateurs. After Suharto resigned in mid-1998, Wiranto publicly promised to protect the former President and his family and regularly visited Suharto's home. Wiranto is probably unfounded, if only because the President may not need to do so. A United Nations report on last year's carnage in East Timor is due to be published soon, as are the findings of Indonesia's own inquiry.