The end of the New Order?
What extraordinary times Indonesians are experiencing! And the world with them. Our hearts go out to the people of this great nation. Of course a quarterly magazine cannot report the latest events. There were times when minutes mattered, and even the radio was too slow for us. Most articles in this issue were already at lay-out when an ashen-faced Suharto read out his resignation speech on that historic 21 May.
That is why our authors often take a longer view. David Bourchier, for example, probes history to understand why the end came so quickly. Is this really the end of the so poorly named New Order? And the beginning of something truly new? It may be too early to tell.
Other authors record certain vivid moments in the turbulent struggle. Strenuous efforts in Yogyakarta to keep protest peaceful. Raw courage of activists facing abduction. Electric tension in Medan just before it was swept by devastating riots. Exhilaration and defiance among the students. Ratna Sarumpaet, too, defiant as she was arrested while singing a patriotic song. These moments will be long remembered. They are moments on the way to a new Indonesia.
We will know that that new Indonesia is here when it begins to deal with the trauma of the New Order. Among the youths dancing in the fountains of parliament house on 21 May were the children of those massacred with army backing in 1965 and 1966.
It has been difficult enough even to remember these traumatic events. Rob Goodfellow's moving account of heart searching in Yogyakarta could be the mood of many more at this time.
The time will come, sooner rather than later, for action to erase the trauma and restore justice. Richard Tanter shows that the international instruments are there to do it. An International Criminal Tribunal for Indonesia should now be a priority for the UN Security Council.
Don't forget the remainder of this packed edition. We delve deeper into the troubled economy. We take you far into the forests of Kalimantan, the rivers of Irian Jaya, the seas off Minahasa, and the mountains of West Timor. For students and teachers, we now have an insert in the Indonesian language. We invite you to use it freely in the classroom. Why not check out the ever-growing Web site, now with the easily remembered name: http://www.insideindonesia.org
All of this was done, believe it or not, by volunteers who simply love Indonesia. Our thanks go out to them.