In the early days of Indonesia’s history, protests were rare. The Dutch colonizers who ruled the country for centuries were known for their strict control over the population. Any kind of public demonstration was strictly forbidden, and those who dared to protest could expect to be harshly punished.
This began to change in the 1970s, when a growing movement of students and workers began to demand political and economic reform. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, these protests grew …