The Agony of East Timor

Jakarta

DRIVE, if you can, through the choking streets of this capital, past the skyscrapers of the business district, the presidential palace, and the diplomatic suburbs, and eventually you approach the seat of real power in Indonesia. You pass down a surprisingly narrow lane, lined with makeshift food stalls and muddy drains—the typical backdrop for the lives of most of this country’s 200 million people—and ahead lies a grandiose entrance to another world, the military world. This is Cilangkap, headquarters of the Indonesian armed forces, and many Indonesians fall silent at the mention of its name.

DS

About the Author

David Shukman

Jakarta

DRIVE, if you can, through the choking streets of this capital, past the skyscrapers of the business district, the presidential palace, and the diplomatic suburbs, and eventually you approach the seat of real power in Indonesia. You pass down a surprisingly narrow lane, lined with makeshift food stalls and muddy drains—the typical backdrop for the lives of most of this country’s 200 million people—and ahead lies a grandiose entrance to another world, the military world. This is Cilangkap, headquarters of the Indonesian armed forces, and many Indonesians fall silent at the mention of its name.