While former president Soeharto's life hangs in the balance in the hospital, controversy over whether or not the government should proceed with the graft charges against him has set in. The public at large cannot accept the fact that the Attorney General's Office has decided to withdraw lawsuits against Soeharto. The Jakarta Post asked people their views on the issue.

Sutarman, 50, is a tower crane operator at a construction site at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta: I do not agree with the charges being dropped because he was responsible for the largest number of human rights violations in the world and is still one of the biggest embezzlers ever.

We, the ordinary people, have suffered so much and of course cannot except the fact that he will not stand trial. All the Indonesian people know what his crimes are. That is why he must be tried and cannot be released, ever.

If he still makes any claims about his ailing health in order to evade trial, we must consider whether anyone can possibly be ill for eight years. This just goes to show that the Yudhoyono administration is powerless as were the previous administrations.

Heidi Laksana, 24, is a college student. She lives in Kwitang, Central Jakarta: I completely disagree with the Attorney General's Office's decision. The government does have the right to feel compassion, but must at least seize all his assets and return them to the state for the benefit of the people.

I think that seizing his assets will bring clarity to people because we know how Soeharto and his cronies stashed away money for themselves. This would be preferable to sending him to prison. It is unlikely that he would receive the same treatment as other prisoners. Soeharto would get privileges in prison, if he ever was imprisoned.

This just shows that Soeharto still has power because of the government's reluctance to try him. A small-time crook in Indonesia can be severely punished, but why is it that someone who is clearly guilty cannot be dealt with.