Reformasi: The Struggle for power in post-Soeharto Indonesia

(Paperback)

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When his military-backed thugs raided the headquarters of Megawati's Indonesia Democratic Party in July 1996, President Soeharto crossed a point of no return. By ousting his chief political opponent, the 74-year-old dictator - already the world's third-longest reigning dictator - hoped to secure "re-election" to a seventh consecutive presidential term. But by relying on brute force, Soeharto sowed the seeds of his own demise, while scuppering Indonesia's chances for a peaceful democratic transition. For the citizens of the world's fourth-largest country, the consequences were momentous. A devastating saga of economic collapse and political strife ensued. A valiant student movement toppled Soeharto, but "Soehartoism" was kept alive - by Soeharto's children, their business cronies and a mercenary military leadership. Efforts to impose accountability, civilian supremacy and the rule of law were opposed at every turn-by bribery, fraud, intimidation and, finally, terror. Five years after Soeharto's raid on Megawati's headquarters, Indonesia's fate still hangs in the balance. The tyranny of Soeharto has given way to the tyranny of a capricious and unaccountable political elite - an elite run amok - but the desire for change among 215 million Indonesians remains stronger than ever. Where past books have either tried to convey the drama of events in the region, or an in-depth understanding of them, this book aims to provide both at once in a compelling political and financial drama, which offers deep insights into Indonesian affairs.

Author Bio

KEVIN O'ROURKE graduated from Harvard University before moving to Jakarta, where he has worked for eight years as an investment banker, consultant and political risk analyst. Throughout the height of the political transition, he scrutinised events first-hand by authoring the Van Zorge Report, an independent bi-weekly journal on politics and economics. Having studied Indonesian politics as an undergraduate at Harvard University, Kevin O'Rourke worked for three years as a bank analyst and equity research director in Jakarta's pre-crisis capital market. Compelled by the political story that was unfolding, he launched a bi-weekly journal on Indonesian politics under the aegis of a political risk consulting firm, Van Zorge, Heffernan and Associates. The Van Zorge Report, which he authored for two years, gained a reputation as the best source of original, in-depth analysis of Indonesia's fast-moving political landscape. Subscribers included multi-national corporations, embassies and donor agencies in Jakarta.