GOOD afternoon, Major Fery. I need a helicopter to take a look at an oil palm plantation. Can you help me?” At the other end of the line, a mid-grade navy officer answered. He asked for the location of the plantation to be surveyed. Tempo said it stretched from Palembang to about the border of Lampung. He asked if there was a need to land. Tempo said there was not.

A moment later Major Fery stationed at a city in Sumatra said: “So then you n