JAKARTA, Indonesia -- When in May 1998 thousands of Indonesian students converged in the streets of the capital, Jakarta, demanding a democratic country and a law system equal for all, the air was filled with tension. Then, when their Reformasi (renovation) movement managed to end the 32-year rule of Dictator Suharto, tension gave way to expectation. Yet, the winds of change have lately turned into just a light breeze, and recent events have shown that in this archipelago nation the law remains lopsided, with the Suhartos and the armed forces still largely outside the reach of justice. The latest slap in the face for the country's civil society was the release from prison of Suharto's youngest and favorite son, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, 44, who walked out of jail on October 30.
Indonesia: Eight Years After Reformasi, Still a Two-Tier System of Law
