Like a country at war Indonesia is under siege, not by an enemy army but by natural disasters. Hundreds of people were killed in earthquakes and landslides in Jember and Banjarnegera early this year. Similar disasters are likely to occur in other parts of Java and in Bali as a high level of rainfall is predicted to continue through February.

Amid the flurry of activity to mitigate the effects of the disasters, good news is coming from Parliamen