Hi Wojtek,
I spoke at a small rally here in Brisbane on Friday night - about 30 people. there were bigger rallies around the country. The Democratic Socialist Party (Green Left Weekly) has conections with the PRD in Indonesia and according to them the PRD are recuiting thousands - yes thousands of new members.
The DSP are very excited about the prospsects there. But the DSP as I have often said is the most optimistic organisation I have ever come across.
Still the news is very dramatic. The mainstream media here are writing off Sukarto -totally. They expect the Indonesian army to arrange a successor and soon.
This is said openly. There is no pretense at democracy at all.
I am going to speak at another meeting on Thursday night and should have more imformation after that.
The estimates of the death toll are now around 200-400. There is moreover no sign of stability in sight. The IMF want their pound of flesh and the general populace is resisting. Amidst all the chaos there is some report that the looting and burning does have some direction. Thus a close associate of Suharto had his home burned down anbd a bank owned by the Suharto family was looted. There also have been pictures of studnets and soldiers singing a democracy song together. But the DSP do not believe that there is a major military figure prepared to break with Suharto at this stage.
Gawd can you imagine the joy of getting to loot a bank!
I will keep the list posted with as much knowledge as I can pick up. From the Australian perspective the slightest suggestion that Indonesia could go radical is enough to set off the greatest of panics here among our ruling elites. That is their worst nightmare. May it come to pass.
regards
Gary
>BTW lou great post on Sinatra. Did you know that when he recorded Old Man
River Sinatra refused to sing the line "N-words all work on the Missippi"?
Instead he sang "Here we all work on the Missippi."