IT all began when first lady Ibu Tien Suharto indicated a wish to build Taman Mini Indonesia theme park, in imitation of a similar theme park she had seen during a visit to Bangkok, Thailand. But the site where she wanted the park built at Lubang Buaya in East Jakarta, was home to hundreds of farm families. Governor Ali Sadikin, appointed as project officer, ordered residents to vacate the area.

The poor residents resisted and went to the year-old