Tomas Tomascik, Annmarie Janice Mah, Anugerah Nontji & Mohammad Kasim Moosa, The ecology of the Indonesian seas, Singapore: Periplus, part I (ISBN 962- 593-078-7, 642pp), part II (ISBN 962-593-163-5, 745pp).
Reviewed by IAN DUTTON
Heru Cahyono, Pangkopkamtib Jenderal Soemitro dan Peristiwa 15 January '74, Pustaka Sinar Harapan, Jakarta 1998 (see Bookshop page for availability).
Reviewed by DAVID BOURCHIER
Millions of hectares of pristine tropical forest and thousands of indigenous people are at risk. FRANCES CARR outlines Habibie's 'techno dream' for Irian Jaya.
The fires are merely adding to the pressure on East Kalimantan's only national park. But ALEX RYAN also finds that nature lovers have won some battles to protect its beauty.
Coastal villagers will protect reefs if they know it is in their interest. IAN DUTTON and BRIAN CRAWFORD report on an international project that goes to the cutting edge.
Some solidarity please!
The day Suharto resigned, May the 21st 1998, will be for ever inscribed in the history books. It marked the end of a dictatorial era, and the birth of new possibilities. It also marked the end of solid economic growth, even if it had been unequally distributed.
In this edition of Inside Indonesia we celebrate the transition. Quite a few authors reflect on the renewing energy of the peoples movements that brought down the curtain on Suharto. We look forward to the first democratic elections in 44 years.
But we are also holding our breaths for the dark days to come. Not since the revolution of 1945 have the Indonesian people faced such an uncertain future. While the rich pile up more debt, the weak suffer the most. Communalism threatens to rise like a stench from the decaying economy.
The world must now be generous to the Indonesia people. They are being visited by great evils. Some come from outside, as we have pointed out in previous editions of this magazine. But even if they come from within, the Indonesian people deserve our solidarity.
Inside Indonesia exists to show how worthwhile that solidarity can be. Now is the time for people in schools and universities, non-government organisations, unions, churches, the legal profession, to respond compassionately. I like to think we are part of a movement within Australian civil society prepared to look beyond its own problems, urgent as these appear to be, to the truly life and death issues now emerging in a society that lies only just beyond our horizon.
Speaking of Inside Indonesia, we're fifteen! To help celebrate, we asked Helena Spyrou (our multi-talented promotions person) to design a new look for the magazine. We like it. Do you? Drop us a note, on this or anything else.
Gerry van Klinken
Editor
Inside Indonesia 56: Oct-Dec 1998
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