OCTOBER 22 SPEECH OF PRESIDENT WAHID TO A BUSINESS CONFERENCE IN BALI ORGANIZED BY VAN ZORGE HEFFERNAN ASSOCIATES

Greetings to Bali Governor and Muspida Bali, Ambassadors, Sarwono, Mar�ie Mohammad and guests

I come here at a critical moment for Indonesia and I would like to use this chance to talk to you about the possibility of making again Indonesia once a great country, at least to see its economic recovery. (There a need to bring) to countries, companies also academics to bring their ion to Indonesia, and not only attention but also bring capital to Indonesia. To be frank, we would not be able to make it alone without capital from outside. Foreign investments are key words for us. And because of this I wold like to talk to you about the future of Indonesia.

I read in Kompas today (jokes about he is probably the only president who takes time to read newspapers) of Mar�ie Mohamad�s comments that the government should be filled with people of integrity and honesty, and most importantly that not a single one of them should be from the previous government. Well, honesty yes, integrity yes, character yes, but that last one I cannot promise. Because to obtain the presidency I had to make compromises. And because of such compromises I have to take several people into the cabinet, maybe some from the past cabinet also. But please be assured that all people recruited for my cabinet will have to w the current government�s commitment to honesty, frankness and more important, in our economic development. This is important. We have to (raise) our nationalism because in the past when we were still poor as it is now, other countries did not show respect. Our honor, our independence was attacked in a brutal way. But of course we should not mix this with other things. We are in the free international trade system. Those foreign companies here are motivated by profit. So we always have to remember that efficiency and a rational way of doing things are most important. And if necessary if we have to compromise but not to sacrifice our principles. I have waited for years for democracy, for the rule of law, for equal treatment for all citizens. I don�t want to go back.

This is why my wife and I are a perfect couple. As a husband I cannot see, as a wife she cannot walk. My wife cannot walk for for six and a half years already and I cannot see for almost two years. But seeing or not, walking or not, together I and my wife would like to serve the nation to make a better living for the people . By the grace of God, so far I am able to judge by using my ears instead of my eyes.

Now as for the future, I would like to see an Indonesia that is ruled by law. This is imp. Indonesia is a big nation, more than 210 million people. Bigger than Japan, bigger than Pakistan, only (after) India, China, the Soviet Union and the United States. So because of this I believe we can do many, many things in the future. There have been many problems in the past because of mistaken policies. They did not stress the need to increase the personal income of the people. This country is great, but the greatness is borne by the companies and the state, but not by the people. My government would like to see people�s incomes increased. Otherwise its nonsense to talk about, for instance is discontinuing the dual function of the armed forces. We cannot just talk about it we have to do something. We can�t stop people from doing dual function and everybody not just the military, everyone else. (We can improve the welfare of the people by increasing the income of the majority of the population) So the key to demilitarization to discontinuing dual function in the armed forces would be to increase the ability of the nation, in their personal incomes. Why? The generals in the US don�t stage coups? Because they are satisfied with their living, everywhere. Don�t talk about Colin Powell, he�s rich and I don�t know about Norman Schwartzkopf, but the average military people, the sergeants, the soldiers enjoy their living.

So democracy is based on several things. One is rule of law, second is equal treatment for all citizens regardless of their race, language, ideology, religion. This is very important to reassure the people of Indonesia that in the future they may be free and entitled to whatever their beliefs. This is very important for the future of Indonesia. One of the achievements of Indonesia in the past is to unify the country through our language. I am sure there is not a single area in Indonesia where people do not use the (common) language. If you remember India is a big country a big nation, but still uses English as the national language. The biggest achievement of Indonesia is that we have a national language that we use every day. I cannot talk with people in Bali in Balinese, I only know Javanese the East Java dialect. And not to mention other parts of Indonesia. The national language�. Wherever they come from all can speak the national language. I know that even Xanana talks in Indonesian. So because of this we have passed the main criteria to become a nation. The is the reason for our existence, our raison d��tre.

But this is going to be a challenge for us in the future, because we have decided already to give more independence to the provinces and to the districts, to give them autonomy. Actually we wold like to have a federal system but as you know when the Dutch left us with ��. I hope in the long run we will be able to overcome that problem. Although we don�t use the word we will build our . political system our economic system precisely based on that. We Indonesians have a tendency to do things without naming names. I think because of that we have to concentrate on overcoming many problems, based on the principle of profit making as well as our inclusion in the free international trade. Based on that we can look at our new economic orientation and there is the income of individual citizens to be improved, until they are the same as people in other countries. (cites the case of corruption in Pakistan and how it was owned by fewer than 20 powerful families)

The autonomy will be achieved when the governors will be elected by the people without any kind of intervention from the national government. Also the bupatis and the mayors will be elected, without intervention from the govt. so in this sense we will use the model offered to us by history in the US, India , Western Europe, everywhere. Local independence is imp, also provincial and the national government officials will have time play golf. Although I can�t play golf myself, when I try to, I just hit my leg. So that�s why its imp for us to continue with on making federalism working without naming it, maybe using another like the one already used by our former president Habibie (total autonomy). So many people criticize him but I choose only to see the good things in him. First He freed the press from government control. Secondly he gave us the ability to continue the work on total autonomy but actually we know it as federalism. The American are proud of their unity in diversity, I think its a feeling we share but we just don�t say it.

We would like to stress the need to develop our seas now. Because you can see that everyone is trying to take everything from our seas. We have to strengthen the navy. The seas have to be controlled by Indonesians. And for this we need to strengthen the navy. To ensure our independence and to ensure our economic utilization of the seas is done thoroughly. This is very important.

So you can see that there many changes in our economic situation. In the political system the greater changes will take place because of the autonomy, but we need honesty. We must be honest. Because of this (lack) honesty we have problems everywhere, Ambon, Kupang, In Irian Jaya we even have problem in Bali and then also near Banyuwangi, an, area of E. Java, and Solo. So we have to be honest with each other and anticipate problems and deal with these problems in an efficient and understandable way. This is not easy and will take time, and set a sense of priority that should be transmitted to the people. I need all your encouragement, all diplomats here, all academics. I have given Mme Megawati Sukarnoputri. It�s difficult to say madam, Your excellency and so forth so I would like to keep protocol at a minimum. That�s why I wear batik not suits like you. So now I still call her �Mbak Mega". I am going to give her the job of supervising the government�s policy on Irian Jaya, Ambon and Riau. For the matter efforts to make other areas autonomous.. Aceh I will handle (myself) temporarily. Because you know (you have to deal) with the Tengkus and the ulamas . Gradually I will introduce her to other tasks. But I will concentrate on the economic development of Indonesia, and it is imperative to develop the country in a conventional way. And we need to talk about all this not only nationally, but also in international and regional fora. I �ve already called the ASEAN ambassadors to Indonesia and told them we will have close cooperation with them and I asked my assistant to contact the heads of government in ASEAN that I will visit them as soon as possible. We don�t know when, we try to not to have it official but informal visit. I would like to go to Singapore and after that to Malaysia to Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and the Philippines. Why because next month will be the ASEAN summit meeting and I would like to meet them after I have been introduced to them. We have to do everything openly. Just now I told the Japanese ambassador its impractical for me to visit Japan officially. But I will make a stopover in Tokyo for one night, meet with the Prime Minister, the king and talk seriously about anything but in an informal capacity. From there I go to Beijing first officially, because I know their feelings. After that I go to India. I don�t know whether the American ambassador is here. I pleaded that for this time to defer to us, we will not go to you first. He said, Oh good , good. As a diplomat he has to say that. My daughter later told me his face became different (after I said this). Fortunately I could not see that. I told Paul Wolfowitz the current ambassador is very appropriate. When we met, he said call me Bob not excellency, so I told him call me Gus Dur not excellency. That way communication can be better. I don�t like formalities. Its already too much because now I have to wear shoes. Before everybody can come to my house any time, now its difficult. Paul is a longtime friend who always comes to see me when he comes to Indonesia. But because of this he won�t be able to (so easily). But by doing the right thing morally and also concentrate on building the economy once again. And all the foreign policy of Indonesia, all the economic policy will be judged from that fact.

Another imp thing for me to say is we will concentrate on making Indonesia unified. Look at Ambon the Muslims and the Christians are massacring each other. It�s crazy. I don�t want it to happen here in Bali because the Balinese are Hindus. For me religions are all the same we have to respect all religions. We have to differentiate between religious militancy and religious consciousness. As a man of religion I deeply respect my religion but I am committed to peace. I am one of the presidents of the World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP), based in NY. William Vendley is the secretary-general. A secretary-general is more powerful than the president, he uses common tactics without taking the ideology .So the next meeting is in Amman next month and as president I have to open that conference, make the keynote speech. I would like to show that Islam and other religions will be unified. And I am a follower of Mahatma Gandhi in rejecting sheer power for (power�s sake). We need military power but not to use it in an abusive way. .I regret that I cannot go to Israel because there are no diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Israel, but you have to know that I am a founding member of the Shimon Perez Foundations. It will take time but I hope to go in the future. But of course, don�t think that I will open diplomatic relations with Israel. That�s a different thing. Maybe first we have economic ties, contacts; some Arab countries do this. So that�s what will do with Israel. I like to be in communication with the Israelis because they are like my self, independent minded always respecting democracy and they have a sense of unity.

So ladies and gentlemen these are the gists of what I would like government to do. My understanding is the way it is, because I don�t read. I have nothing else to guide me. Please give me your blessing, and please help us in our desire to work for economic recovery and after that to do much for world service.