“CHANGE the lock!” said Ali Sadikin instructing a locksmith who accompanied him to the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) in Jalan Pangeran Diponegoro, Central Jakarta, in mid-1995. Ali pointed to a door in the middle of a room. With walls made of plywood panels, the extra room was used by Mulyana W. Kusumah, the former YLBHI Non-litigation Director.

Ali’s arrival attracted the attention of people in the office. Bambang Wi...