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by political spokesmen and commentators with all the certainty of holy writ. Nor is there much doubt about the outcome of the
Presidential elections in 1983. There was some mild discussion about a theory (put about, as far as I could see, by young US observers in Jogjakarta) that Suharto was not complete master of the situation but was manipulated by certain (unspecified) éminences grises. However, the theory appeared to be unsupported by any hard evidence. Another source of rather desultory speculation revolved around Suharto's possible choice for the Vice-Presidency (and hence, perhaps, his temporary successor, if anything untoward happened to him) after the elections. The names of Widjojo, Minister for Economic Co-ordination, Mohammed Yusuf, Minister of Defence and Adam Malik (for a second time) were mentioned but the comment was also made that nobody wanted the job since it did not carry its own source of power and was too much under Suharto's shadow.
17.
Several observers said that the students presented no challenge to the government at the moment. Many socialist ideas had been incorporated into the system and, in any case, the students were mostly the children of people in power and therefore did not wish to do anything to upset their own prospects of advancement.
18. I visited the spanking new building (opened April 1981) which houses the ASEAN Secretariat and saw Dr Chng, Director of Economic Affairs; an earnest and seemingly able young man. The slight air of unreality which infuses all ASEAN affairs was not absent from the Secretariat building which is grossly under-used. According to Dr Chng, it is hoped that one day it might house a permanent ASEAN Standing Committee but this was for the distant future. So was the
development of an ASEAN Common Market; Dr Chng admitted the items listed under the Preferential Trading Agreements were "inconsequential". He also said that the urea plant, which is Indonesia's ASEAN project,
is due to come on stream in 1984.
19.
The most interesting point to emerge on Indonesia's foreign policy was the confirmation that Jakarta is seeking to maintain a dialogue with Hanoi. Dr Hasan, Head of the DFA Research Department
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