And this is after he was disgraced by the role of the military under his command in the massive pogroms in East Timor and in the repression of student demonstrations in Jakarta. Wiranto was too discredited to succeed as a vice presidential candidate for the Golkar party. But he has been included in the Wahid regime, supposedly in a post that does not involve direct command of military forces. Indeed, all signs suggest that former armed-forces commander Gen. Wiranto, in his new post as coordinating minister for defense and security, has not only positioned himself at the heart of the Wahid government, but also retains effective leadership of the armed forces. Wahid is in a tight spot also because he refuses to offer the Acehnese anything more than a limited local autonomy, which seems to be too little, too late.
Independence is non-negotiable.
Aceh is already following Islamic law. About 300 people have been killed in Aceh this year alone as a result of the political conflict, including 88 Indonesian soldiers. Struggles for this right are becoming a key part of the continuing radicalization in Indonesia. This is a problem that only the rising revolutionary forces can solve by integrating recognition of the right of self-determination into policies that can unite all of the working and oppressed people in a struggle against the neocolonialist capitalist system.