The tensions erupt frequently into violence. In February 1997, 2000 Madurese and Dayaks were killed in violent confrontations.
In Jakarta, many students, workers, street traders and peasants, opposed to the Soeharto regime, have been raped and murdered in recent years. In July 1996,  members  of  Megawati Sukarno-Putri's Indonesian Demo cratic Party (PDI) were attacked and ~led in their party headquarters.  Leaders  of  the  Peoples Democratic Party (PRD) have also been imprisoned following the demonstrations that took place after the raid on the PDI headquarters.
Indonesia's policies of political control have all been necessary to defend the privileges of the ruling circle that came out of the Indonesian military. Today, Soeharto is surrounded by a small group of cronies and family members who own massive business conglomerates. These multi-billionaires,  who  have enriched themselves on government contracts financed by Indonesia's oil money, stand at the   centre   of   Soeharto's Indonesia, defended by an ever vigilant military.
However,  this  privileged layer, standing out so starkly in the midst of the widening gap between rich and poor, are coming under increasing attack.Despite all the political controls, opposition to Soeharto is growing This opposition already has many martyrs, both to death and imprisonment: worker leader, Marsinah, found raped, tortured and murdered near her factory; students who have been beaten and bayoneted; members of the PDI and leaders and activists of the PRD.
In tandem with this movement against the dictatorship by more and more students, workers and peasants, is the continuing struggle for self~etennination in West Papua and East Timer.
Australia's role
Australia has strong military and economic links with Indonesia. A 1995 security agreement, and financial agreements such as the Timor Gap oil agreement, encourage close economic co-operation between the two countries. Australia is also a supplier of arms to Jakarta.Military eoˇoperr~ion Military links with Indonesia began in.the early 1960s when Australia began training Indonesian officers. By the 1980s this had developed into an extensive military co-operation program, involving military training and joint military exercises.
Australia has become the most important foreign provider of military training to Indonesia,. displacing the United States, which cancelled all such training following the 1991 Dill massacre, in East Timer. The number of Indonesians training at Australian defence installations jumped from 5 in 1991 to 225 in 1995, increasing to 375 by 1996. Many of these are instructors, who will in turn pass on their skills to others in the Indonesian armed forces (ABRI).  While  the  United  States charged $US 80,000 per year per officer for training, Australia provides training free  of charge to Indonesia.  The scheme costs the Australian ~taxpayer $3.2 million, and has involved officers from Kopassus, the Indonesian Special Forces Command, criticised for human rights abuses.
Australia also takes part in combined military exercises with ABRI.Australian Defence Forces regularly exercise with Indonesia's two most important units, the elite 3,500-man red beret special forces (Kopassus) and the 30,000-man green beret strategic reserve (Kostrad). Both these units spearheaded the bloody 1975 invasion of East Timer, and have been accused of serious human rights abuses in West Papua, East Timer and Aceh. In 1995 Indonesia took part in the giant Kangaroo '95 exercise, which cost Australian taxpayers $64 million.
Reports from inside West Papua claim that Australian Special Air Service (SAS) anti-guerilla forces have been inv~lved with ABRI in raids on villages, in which entire villages have been burned down, in the PNG border area.Se~urity Treaty In December 1995, the Australian Prime Minister, Paul Keating signed a security treaty with the Indonesian government. This treaty was secretly negotiated and was not discussed in Parliament beforehand.  The treaty links Australia in a security agreement with the brutal and repressive Indonesian Armed Forces or ABRI. This could potentially involve Australia militarily in Indonesian internal security problems, such as 'unrest' among indigenous people in relation to the Freeport mine. Former Labor MP Tom Uren said at the time the treaty was signed: "I see explosive complications for Australia if a belligerent Indonesian military continues its atrocities against the West Irianese".
The close military ties with Indonesia are an issue of concern for many Australians, and Foreign Minister  Downer  and  Defence Minister McLachlan should be made aware of the disquiet felt by many people in this country and abroad.(Refer to 'What you can do' section).