WE watched breathlessly as a nightmare of police brutality unfolded on the screen. An emotionally charged officer carried a stick and chased students from the Indonesian Muslim University (UMI) Makassar. Behind him, fully armed police from the scout unit joined the attack on the buildings, smashing their way into lecture rooms.

The police snarled at captured students, ordering them to squat and take off their clothes. Blow after blow rained down o