Openness and the Fall of Suharto

The 1980s was an exceptional period in Indonesia's history. The near monopoly on violence by the government meant that it could maintain an image of quiescence that ensured international support. Western countries built up close relations with Indonesia, particularly with the military, to whom Britain sold arms, the US provided intelligence training and Australia co-sponsored exercises with the Special Forces Command, the elite troops responsible for maintaining control in the rebellious provinces. Inside and outside Indonesia, authoritarianism was seen as the price the country paid for development, a view that served the interests of Western governments keen to support the operations of multinational oil and mineral companies in Indonesia.

The 1990s saw that stability come under question, and finally and belatedly the end of the regime came. The legacy of Suharto's rule has hung over the regimes of his successors. Both the New Order mindset and New Order corruption have continued to pervade Indonesian political culture. The attempts to suppress Islam have also come back to haunt the Indonesian state, as the nation has taken on an increasingly Muslim face.