OPENING the Karaha Bodas case is similar to watching an old film. The players remain the same: Pertamina and the Indonesian government against Karaha Bodas LLC (KBC). The genre is still the same: business conflict. The difference is the current ending. After keeping silent for three years, the government has declared that it is prepared to pay KBC's claim of US$294 million—from an original claim of US$261.1 million plus interest.

The Ka