INDONESIA

[revolutionary]

I found some info the other day about Indonesia in the 1960's and the dictatorship of a general of the army supported by Britain and Americain . The West supported the Dictatorship because the government before the coup was anti-west and got rid of the world bank and IMF. When the general took power he murdered one million people. These people were government supporters and communists. It was a secret that the dictatorship was supported by the West.........not any more. There is even evidence that 2 British warship escorted a ship full of prisoners to a site to be shot. The general let the World Bank and IMF back in and Indonesia was privatised to the profit of the West.

This is just another case of the West killing for money, but why can't the US and Britain be blamed? I know the capitalist system protects the winners but there must be something to be done when evidence shows their guilt.
How are these actions protected????????

[Dreadnaht1]

The US and Britain should be blamed but never ever are. It's simple, they will do whatever it takes to get natural rescources and money from anyone. Even if it involves the death of 1 million innocent people from doing it. How are they protected? Another simple answer, they can pay people off or black mail them or just make them disappear. So what's to say they're guilty when they can just buy the best lawyers or pay-off the judges. Kinda sucks alot.

Comrade Dread

[kingbee]

i read about this in the magazine that comes with guardian ( a uk paper). the president killed the old goverment, because they got support from communists. i think many were tortured , and killed. its a suprise that only recently had all this stopped, and only in 99 or 00 did east timor (which was invaded by indonesia) become independent. i agree with Dreadnaght 1- "The US and Britain should be blamed but never ever are". that fact that the uk sent warships over suprised me, as i didnt think the uk was that bad when it comes to international affairs. its strange that my country can be so oppressive,when it appears so innocent

[Kez]

anyone herd of attila the stockbrokers song,
"blood for oil?"

comrade kamo

[Elfinity]

When I learnt about Indonesia and the West was when I started to question our governments, etc. It was sort of like the springboard for me.

Basically In the early 1960's ex-president Suharto staged a military coup and gained power. The West supported this. He implemented an oppressive state with controlled media, human rights abuses, etc. Then in the 1970's Indonesia invaded East Timor, and over the next 2 decades killed approximately 200,000 people (1/3 of the population of East Timor). The West supported this because of some perceived communist threat in the region related to the victorious political party when East Timor had it's first elections (after recently gaining independence); and because of the economic ties with Indonesia. The west even supplied weapons to Indonesia which further aided their aggression.

Then in 1998 came the Asian economic crisis, with the Indonesian rupiah losing 80% of it's value and the economy of Indonesia basically collapsed. Suddenly in the year following this the West all of a sudden develops concerns about the humantiarian situation in East Timor and it's fight for independence. Not too long after that in go the peacekeeping forces.

I think Indonesia is such a plain example of what really motivates our governments, and it certainly got me thinking when I never had before.

[Dreadnaht1]

Yeah Guatemala is another perfect example. They had a very good leftist government which was toppled by a US-backed, rightist campaign. And look at it now, it's got slave labor and is just in absolute horrible shape. The former U.S. President Clinton went there and actually apologized in secret for the toppeling of their former gov't.

Sad.

Comrade Dread