ON October 1, 1965, Putu Oka entered the classroom where he taught, at a Foundation for Development and Education Senior High School. The school was located on Jalan Toko Tiga in Tambora, West Jakarta. Putu, then 26, was surprised to find only a few students in the classroom.

"You don't know, sir? Last night there was a coup," Putu related the words of Mei Lan, one of his students, 48 years ago. The Balinese teacher was confused. What did his student