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Amien Rais blasts Suharto kids and cronies

Source
Agence France Presse - February 4, 1998 (extracts only, posted by Tapol)

Singapore - A top Indonesian Muslim leader has accused President Suharto's children and associates of primary responsibilty for the country's debt crisis and likened their business operations to organised crime.

"They have made the greatest contribution to the present crisis," Amien Rais said in an interview aired by Singapore-based satellite broadcaster CNBC Asia Business News.

Rais, 53, heads the Muhammadiyah, a moderate Islamic group which claims 28 million members.

"Of course, there are many, many more reasons why we have come to the present crisis, but I will say with confidence that maybe around 50 per cent of the cause is the fact that the children of Suharto and their cronies have played a very, very irrational and irresponsible game in our economy," he said.

On the debt problems of the local banks and corporations, the Muslim leader cited monopolies granted to Suharto's children and associates, which he blamed for obstrcuting market mechanisms. He said Suharto's children "use the political leverage of the father to just take a lot of money from our banks and all the debts, I think, became bad debts."

"And I think they've made a kind of organised crime in our banking system, to our market, to our free competition... So we have to stop them right now, If we don't the crisis will be deteriorating and I dont know what will happen," he said.

Asked about the president's reelection bid, Rais said: "I'm afraid that the monetary crisis, and social and economic crisis in my country will not go away because I do believe that Mr Suharto is the problem and not the answer or solution to the crisis."

Asked if the IMF rescue package was enough to change the situation in Indonesia, Rais said: "Without political reform, the economic reform will go nowhere. Now it is very strange and rather irrational because it seems that President Suharto will carry out economic reform as prescribed by the IMF but at the same time he will stick to the old political system," he said.

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