October 5, 2007: Islamic radicals have a lot going against
them in Indonesia. First, there are the social attitudes shared by most
Indonesians. By law and custom, polygamy is discouraged, with a man only able
to take additional wives if the first one gives permission. Lawsuits to change
this restriction go nowhere, and legislative relief is impossible because half
the population are women. Drinking and night life are popular, and Islamic
militants have run into violent opposition when trying to shut down these
entertainments. Not surprisingly, Indonesians are very much against the use of
terrorism. What Indonesians fear more is their own armed forces. For decades,
under the former dictator Suharto, the military had special status. This
included permanent seats in parliament, and the ability to own and operate
businesses. This made the military a separate, and above-the-law, entity within
the country. Three years ago, laws were passed demanding that the military
dismantle its business empire. This has not been done yet, and the government
fears the generals may attempt a coup. Then again, the generals know they are
unpopular, and such a coup attempt might result in a general uprising against
the military, and even rebellion by troops unwilling to kill their fellow
Indonesians.
Unrest in East Timor
continues, and escalated a bit when someone threw a grenade into an
Australian military compound, causing no injuries.
