Surveys in detail the most significant problems now facing Indonesia, raises vital issues for further investigation, and analyzes the results of the 1999 election.
Security has long trumped democracy as a priority for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). But the brutal dictatorship in Burma/Myanmar, political pluralism in Indonesia, and the global growth of democratic norms have led some Southeast Asians to question ASEAN's habit of turning a blind eye to domestic abuses by member states.
This text presents an accessible introduction to the most significant problems facing Indonesia and raises issues for further investigations. It addresses such questions as: how has Indonesia managed to remain one country?, and is there a truly national Indonesian culture?
