Since August 28, Indonesia's media have been preoccupied about a speech by Vice-President Try Sutrisno in which he talked about "internal elements who are prepared to become traitors to their people and nation".
Although ex-general Try did not name names, he explained that these "traitors" are those who "provide misleading material and information to outside forces with certain aims that can provoke internal discontent and endanger and harm national interests"
Media commentators are linking Try's accusation with the increasing international pressure on Indonesia, especially regarding labour rights and East Timor.
During recent weeks, US officials have taken actions highlighting overseas concerns regarding these two issues. The US ambassador criticised Jakarta for stopping the congress of the Indonesian Prosperity for Workers Union (SBSI), one of a number of independent initiatives to organise workers.
Washington has even threatened to withdraw trade privileges to Indonesia under the Generalised System of Preferences system. Washington has given Indonesia until February to improve workers' conditions; otherwise trade privileges worth Rp1.2 trillion per year may be lost. As a result, the Indonesian Ministry of Labour will shortly revamp its own "union", the All Indonesia Workers Union (SPSI).
Those active in campaigning on labour rights overseas include SBSI and the Solidarity Trade Union group, established in 1990. Saut Aritonang, head of Solidarity, told the September 11 Editor magazine that he had written to the ILO complaining about the government's contravention of various ILO conventions.
Activists from the Workers Solidarity Forum and groups such as the Advance Together Foundation have also lobbied internationally.
Reference has also been made in press reports to the revival of East Timor as an international issue, implying that this is also connected to the activities of Indonesians outside Indonesia. Groups such as Indonesian Democratic Forum, based in Holland, and Indonesian International Solidarity Forum, based in Holland and Indonesia, have issued statements critical of Jakarta's policy on East Timor.
Almost all representatives of the non-government, community, democratic and academic opposition have rejected Try's comments as unfounded, including ex-general Syaiful Sulun, the last speaker of the parliament, non-government parliamentarians and dissident academics.
Indro Cahyono, director of the environmental research group SKEPHI, was reported as being surprised by Try's statement, since SKEPHI was being invited to work with the new minister of planning.
Dissident academic Arief Budiman stated that he thought Try's main targets were the non-government organisations, "because they often talk about the workers, the Kedung Ombo [land compensation] case, strikes and so on". Budiman went on to tell Editor magazine, "... the government feels threatened. The intellectuals are confused too. If you speak overseas, you are called a traitor. If you speak at home, you are called anti-Panca Sila [the official state ideology], a dissident and so on."