The next day, Suharto himself was questioned. The government may secretly worry that uncovering Suharto's corruption would implicate many top figures. But he may not be protected if it becomes politically expedient to prosecute him. Daniel Lev, a politics professor at the University of Washington, notes that for three decades, the elite's chief concern has been its own interests, not the nation's. Not only has that mindset outlasted the New Order, but so have the Suharto-style tactics of intrigue, division and provoked unrest to forward the establishment's aims.
Examples are the student shootings or even religious conflicts.
But in post-Suharto Indonesia, no one knows anymore where an advantage lies exactly. So long as the nation is tugged by many poles of power, it experiences an odd kind of stability. No party will move decisively unless it believes it can secure victory. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you.