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TV PROGRAM TRANSCRIPT

LOCATION: http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2001/s380839.htm

Broadcast: 02/10/2001

Indonesia's relgious radicals call for holy war

Reporter: Mark Bowling


MARK BOWLING: The anti-American shouts are growing louder.

The demonstrations are getting bigger.

While most of Indonesia's 190 million Muslims are considered moderate, there are extremist groups willing and able to turn the current terrorist crisis to their own advantage, playing on fears that innocent Muslims would die in any planned American attack.

HABIB RIZIEQ, CHIEF, ISLAMIC DEFENDERS FRONT: We demand that the US stop, they stop their plan to attack Afghanistan.

If not, it means you are starting a second crusade and we are ready to fight for our holy war.

MARK BOWLING: Habib Rizieq is the leader of the radical Islamic Defenders Front, one of the groups which last week conducted sweeps of up-market hotels, searching for Americans, warning them to leave Indonesia.

No-one doubts the group's ability to carry out threats against opponents.

Last year, members were filmed attacking some of Jakarta's Western-style bars and restaurants during a campaign to curb un-Islamic practices.

In the latest wave of harassment, radicals have promised to destroy the American Embassy and kill the US Ambassador.

That has sparked an exodus of US workers and their families.

Many American businesses are shutting down.

HABIB RIZIEQ: They are not responsible for what their government is doing but, nevertheless, we should ask them to leave anyway to prevent espionage among them.

They should leave for their own safety.

DR GREG FEALY, ANU, ISLAM IN INDONESIA EXPERT: The problem areas would be Jakarta, Yogyakarata.

MARK BOWLING: Islamic specialist Dr Greg Fealy has been closely monitoring the actions of the radical groups.

He says the signs are worrying.

DR GREG FEALY: The worst case scenario is that there are massive reprisals by the US, that large numbers of Muslims are targeted in those reprisals, perhaps become the victims of attacks, and this would lead to very strong action by Islamic organisations, perhaps on the streets.

They might drive out a lot of Westerners from large cities and the like in Indonesia, leading to a capital flight.

MARK BOWLING: What's taught in most Indonesian schools is moderate Islam.

There's respect for other religions, part of the state ideology of Pancasila.

For decades, under the autocratic President Suharto, Islam's political power was suppressed.

In the same way, Suharto kept a lid on all possible opposition.

But the three years since Suharto's downfall have seen a rapidly rising tide of Islamic fundamentalism.

DR GREG FEALY: It's likely that Islamic parties are going to be able to dictate terms in politics more generally in the future.

And I think that's a reason why we have to be very heedful of some of the demands that Islamic parties and groups are making.

MARK BOWLING: Indonesia's new president, Megawati Sukarnoputri, is a nationalist at heart, but she owes her leadership to the biggest Muslim parties who backed her push for power just two months ago.

Already, she's angered millions of Muslim hard-liners by visiting Washington and promising support for the international alliance against terrorism.

In return, there were US pledges of aid for Indonesia's crippled economy.

Her dilemma is the potential for conflict with her own political partners.

DR GREG FEALY: If there was a massive US reprisal, I think we could expect those Islamic elements of her government to press her very strongly to make protests towards the Americans, perhaps to take diplomatic reprisals against the Americans.

And this is a great risk for her because she needs American support in order to implement her policies, her economic revival.

MARK BOWLING: Muslim parties are already lining up against the Indonesian leader, led in part by the man who she helped ouster.

ABDURRAHMAN WAHID, FORMER INDONESIAN PRESIDENT: We will not support her. Why?

Because she doesn't represent Islamic, you know, community or Islamic movements.

She acts on her own self.

Even her party will not support her in this matter.

MARK BOWLING: The challenge for Indonesia's President Megawati Sukarnoputri is to calm the angry crowds, not to allow radical Islam to undermine her rule and her support for American action.

But that won't be easy when more and more Indonesians believe their leaders are betraying Islam.

Some of Indonesia's leading newspapers haven't helped ease tensions.

The prominence given to the burning of a mosque in Brisbane has directed some heat towards Australians too, especially the thousands living in Indonesia.

At a public meeting in Jakarta, Australians say they are worried, especially after small protests outside the Australian Embassy.

Most of these business people and government workers have lived through years of crisis in Indonesia, but they're keen to talk to Australian diplomats about greater security and possible evacuation if tensions escalate.

RICK SMITH, AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR TO INDONESIA: So, if the situation did become difficult, then we would act as we have in the past, but I don't want to say more than that at this time.

MARK BOWLING: Well, how many Australians are we talking about in Indonesia?

RICK SMITH: In Jakarta, if they're all here, 3,000 or 4,000, plus a few tourists as well.

In Indonesia as a whole, 7,000 or 8,000 probably.

DR GREG FEALY: If there were to be that worst case scenario, well then, it's not inconceivable that Australia would also become the target of Islamic groups, if they were playing a prominent role in this anti-terrorist coalition that the US has put together.

This could create tensions between or it could create problems for Australians living in Indonesia.

But I think the main target remains the United States.